Mixed response to Bharat Bandh against petrol price hike

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SME Times News Bureau | 31 May, 2012
Nationwide shutdown called by NDA and Left to protest petrol price hike evoked a mixed response amid incidents of pelting, arson and road blockades in Delhi, Maharashtra and West Bengal.

Small shops were seen open in many areas while commuters complained there were less autos on roads as a number of auto, taxi unions have joined the protest.

In the national capital, BJP workers blocked roads in Akshardham, Laxmi Nagar, Janakpuri and Mayapuri areas to enforce the shutdown. They raised slogans against the central government and stopped vehicles plying on roads.

"The very fact that this shutdown is being followed on such a large scale all over India shows that the common man won't tolerate price hikes and is frustrated by the government's current scheme of things," said BJP leader Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi.

"People are with the BJP and we will try our best to support the common man's initiative," Naqvi, protesting with party workers at the Akshardham flyover, added.

Nearly 300 traders' associations in Delhi also said they would keep markets closed in support of the shutdown.

However in Maharashtra, the shutdown paralysed life in large parts of the state and its capital Mumbai with public transport off the roads and government buses being stoned in several places.

Despite stringent security measures taken by the Maharashtra government, there were at least four incidents of government buses being stoned in Pune and Thane as the shutdown by BJP, Shiv Sena, Left, Samajwadi Party and others got underway this morning.

Besides, the shutdown has been supported by anti-corruption crusader Anna Hazare and even Mumbai's 'dabbawallas', who will not provide their regular tiffin delivery services Thursday.

Several top opposition leaders, including BJP state chief Sudhir Mungantiwar, Gopinath Munde, Kirit Somaiya, Sardar Tara Singh, Gopinath Munde and others, were detained for protesting in public places.

The ruling Congress-Nationalist Congress Party government has deployed tight security all over Mumbai and other parts of the state to counter the opposition shutdown that evoked spontaneous response across the state.

As Mumbai woke up this morning, a majority of the BEST (Brihan Mumbai Electric Supply and Transport) public buses were seen on the roads along with normal suburban train services.

However, services were hit later in the day. Most people preferred to remain indoors in the near-total absence of autorickshaws and taxis.

There were reports of violence in West Bengal. Protestors set fire to a bus, put up road blockades and disrupted train movement in at least one place as the 12-hour shutdown.

Fewer private vehicles and taxis were seen on the roads, markets were closed in a few pockets, but most people in Kolkata and the districts went about their daily routine, police said.

In neighboring Howrah town, supporters of the shutdown torched a stationary state government bus, but there were no injuries.

Police arrested 38 people for trying to disrupt traffic by putting up road blockades in various areas of Kolkata and Howrah.

The pro-shutdown activists also took out processions and demonstrated in some areas of the city.

Heavy security arrangements have been made with a large posse of police personnel deployed on the roads to maintain peace.