A nationwide shutdown or Bharat Bandh called by the opposition Congress, Left and other parties against the increasing prices of fuel affected normal life in the BJP-ruled Tripura on Monday.

Most markets, shops and business establishments were closed and private and passenger vehicles remained off the roads. Government offices and some banks were open but employee attendance was low.

Flights operated to-and-from Agartala while the Northeast Frontier Railways operated their trains with very few passengers.

Inspector General of Police (Law and Order) K.V. Sreejesh told IANS that there were no untoward incidents reported from any part of the state.

The Congress and Left parties maintained that the shutdown was total and successful while the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party claimed that the people rejected the Bharat Bandh in Tripura.

Several Congress party workers were arrested for holding demonstrations in different places and creating obstacles in front of government offices.

Manipur Lok Sabha member Thokchom Meinya along with two party leaders from Assam, Wajed Ali Choudhury and Abdur Rauf, were also arrested here.

Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) Lok Sabha member from Tripura Sankar Prasad Dutta told the media that braving the threat of ruling BJP and the state government, the state’s people unitedly observed the shutdown to protest against the rising prices of transport fuel and essentials.

The ruling BJP, however, claimed that the “people outrightly rejected the ‘Bharat Bandh’ as it did not serve their interest”.

“Normal works were done in government offices and in most places in Tripura. Ongoing process of panchayat elections was also carried out all over Tripura. As plying of vehicles was little less, government employees and other workers went to their places of work with their own arrangements,” BJP General Secretary Pratima Bhowmik told IANS.

“As a national party, BJP’s policy is always against any shut down as the party gives top priority to development and peace besides the interest of the common and poor people. Any kind of ‘bandh’ or strike affected the development and interest of the people.”

(IANS)

The all-India anti-fuel price hike shutdown evoked a mixed response in Maharashtra on Monday, with all parties – barring the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party and Shiv Sena – joining it wholeheartedly.

In Mumbai and other cities, large numbers took to the streets, railway stations, bus depots, and other public places carrying banners and placards, raising anti-government slogans, taking out processions or staging sit-in protests against the spiraling prices of petrol, diesel and gas.

However, suburban trains, BEST buses, schools and colleges functioned normally. But shops and commercial establishments downed shutters in many localities.

Maharashtra Congress President Ashok Chavan and Mumbai Congress President Sanjay Nirupam led thousands of slogan-shouting activists to stage protests outside the Andheri bus depot and later they trooped down on the railway tracks to stage a rail-blockade.

However, before they could disrupt the train services, many leaders, including Chavan, Nirupam, Manikrao Thakre, Baba Siddiqui, Suresh Shetty and others were detained.

The Raj Thackeray-led Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) activists also led protests in Mumbai, Thane, Palghar, Pune, Nashik and others areas of the state.

In Dadar, MNS activists broke police cordons and waved black flags as the motorcade of Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis zoomed past. In Andheri, they attempted to stop the Mumbai Metro Rail but there were no major dislocations in the services.

The shutdown elicited mixed response in urban centres but secured widespread support in the semi-urban and rural hinterland which have been severely hit by the fuel prices and its cascading effects.

In Aurangabad, protestors took out bullock cart rallies and filled petrol in their vehicles with droppers. Some petrol pumps in Thane, Pune and elsewhere remaind shut as a precaution.

Places like Thane, Palghar, Pune, Nashik, Nanded, Parbhani, Kolhapur, Raigad, Ratnagiri witnessed processions and roadside dharnas. There was stone-pelting at buses in Mumbai and Pune.

The Shiv Sena editorially attacked the Modi government for its failures on all fronts.

In edits in party mouthpieces ‘Saamana’ and ‘Dopahar Ka Saamana’, the Sena also criticized the opposition parties for “finally awakening” to the misery of the masses.

The shutdown has been supported by Nationalist Congress Party, Samajwadi Party, Janata Dal (S), RPI (G), Peasant and Workers Party, Left Parties, Swabhimani Shetkari Party, Peoples Republican Party, besides other local and regional parties in Maharashtra.

(IANS)

Calling the hike in prices of petroleum products a “momentary difficulty” due to the international crisis, the BJP on Monday condemned incidents of violence during the Bharat Bandh.

The Bharatiya Janata Party also claimed that the shutdown was “unsuccessful” because people understand the reasons why petrol and diesel prices were going up.

“Why the people of India are indifferent to Bharat Bandh? They understand the rise in fuel prices, though temporary, is because of factors beyond the control of the Indian government and ordinary indian,” Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad told the media.

He said that in spite of some “momentary difficulty”, the people don’t support the Bandh.

“This is unnerving the Congress and other opposition parties. That is why they are resorting to violence.

“Bharat Bandh has been unsuccessful. We condemn the violence being used to instil fear among citizens across the country.”

(IANS)

The Minister said: “The petroleum need of the global world today is under severe restrictions because of non-availability and limited supply. We are not trying to justify the price hike. The NDA government has been trying its best to contain inflation. It has succeeded on numerous fronts.”

Referring to the alleged death of a girl in Bihar’s Jehanabad district during the Bandh, Prasad demanded to know who was responsible for it.

“Everyone has a right to protest but what is happening today? Petrol pumps and buses being set ablaze, putting to risk lives. A child died after an ambulance was stuck in the protests in Jehanabad. Who is responsible?”

The day-long nationwide shutdown or Bharat bandh on Monday against rising fuel prices called by the Congress affected normal life in Karnataka as public transport kept off the roads across the state.

“There is an overwhelming response from the public to our shutdown call as petrol and diesel price hike affects all, especially the poor,” a Congress spokesman told IANS here.

Schools and colleges were closed although state and central government offices remained open.

In Bengaluru, global software firms like Infosys and Wipro functioned normally.

With the ruling Janata Dal-Secular (JD-S) supporting its ally Congress on the bandh, their cadres as well as activists of the pro-Kannada organisations like Kannada Vedica Paksha (KVP) were seen forcing restaurants, shops and fuel stations to remain shut at least till 3 p.m.

Many theatres, multiplexes and malls did not open for business. Bank transactions were hit.

“We have not opened for business for the day to avoid damage to our property caused by frenzied mobs,” a tea vendor told IANS here.

The shutdown, however, did not affect flight or train services in Bengaluru and Mysuru though passengers faced harrowing time at the airport and railway stations in the absence of buses, cabs and autos.

About 1,000 cadres and supporters of the JD-S and Congress staged a massive demonstration at the Town Hall here and took out a protest rally to the Freedom Park through main roads, which had less vehicular traffic on a working day due to the shutdown.

Emergency services, including hospitals and medical shops, were exempted from the bandh.

(IANS)

Nationwide strike today has been observed across the state today.

State-run transport corporations – BMTC, KSRTC, NWKRTC, NEKRTC – are all likely to see workers observing the strike after multiple unions voiced their support to the bandh call. Auto rickshaws and app hailed cabs will also ply in very low numbers.

The cab association members said that they will be supporting the Congress in the bandh and if need be they will protest in front of Town Hall as well.

Bengaluru Urban DC Vijay Shankar declared holiday for all schools and colleges across Bengaluru.

Nationwide strike today has been observed across the state today.

State-run transport corporations – BMTC, KSRTC, NWKRTC, NEKRTC – are all likely to see workers observing the strike after multiple unions voiced their support to the bandh call. Auto rickshaws and app hailed cabs will also ply in very low numbers.

The cab association members said that they will be supporting the Congress in the bandh and if need be they will protest in front of Town Hall as well.

Bengaluru Urban DC Vijay Shankar declared holiday for all schools and colleges across Bengaluru.

Altogether 58 Congress activists were Monday taken into police custody in Jharkhand for forcibly trying to enforce the ‘Bharat Bandh’ called by the party, a police officer said.

The Jharkhand Mukti Morcha, the Rashtriya Janata Dal and the Left parties in Jharkhand are supporting the Congress-sponsored ‘Bharat bandh called against fuel price hike.

Fifty eight Congress activists including Palamau district Congress president Jaias Ranjan Pathak were taken into custody for forcibly trying to enforce the bandh, Superintendent of Police Inderjeet Mahata said.

Barring Garhwa district, normal life is not affected in Pakur, Jamshedpur, Ranchi, Hazaribagh, Lohardaga, Gumla, Ramgarh, Giridih, Latehar, Palamau, Dhanbad and other districts, according to reports.

Goods trains and passengers trainings were being escorted by the police, a police officer said.

Vehicular traffic is normal in most parts of the state, including Ranchi, the reports said.

HD Deve Gowda said that JD(S) will be supporting the Bharat Bandh called by the Congress party on Monday.

He said that, he will support the bandh but will not be participating in any event as he will be meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi, he said.

Gowda said, he and Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy, accompanied by some MPs of the BJP and Congress, will be meeting Mr Modi to impress upon him the need to allot more funds for rehabilitation work in flood-affected areas particularly Kodagu district. “Those who are not part of the delegation to New Delhi, will be taking part in the bandh,” he stated.

Regarding the bandh, he said that constant hikes in fuel prices have burdened the common man and have adversely affected trade and commerce in the country. “The hikes are too much for the common man to bear,” he added.

(PTI)

As petrol prices on Monday shot up to Rs 89.97 in Maharashtra’s Parbhani – the highest in India – the Opposition Congress staged a ‘rail-roko’ agitation here as part of the party-sponsored nationwide shutdown to protest rising fuel prices.

Parbhani District Petrol Dealers Association (PDPDA) President Sanjay Deshmukh said that while petrol was nearly touching the psychological barrier of Rs 90 per litre, (Rs 89.97), diesel prices stood at Rs 77.92 on Monday.

Elsewhere in Maharashtra, petrol was Rs 88 and diesel at Rs 76, said All India Petrol Dealers Association (AIPDA) spokesperson Ali Daruwala, besides various local tax additions.

The all-India anti-fuel price hike shutdown got underway in different parts of Maharashtra with all parties, barring the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party and Shiv Sena, joining in wholeheartedly.

Maharashtra Congress President Ashok Chavan and Mumbai Congress President Sanjay Nirupam led thousands of activists to stage a noisy protest outside the Andheri station bus depot, and later they got down on the railway tracks, shouting anti-government slogans.

Several leaders including former ministers Naseem Khan, Manikrao Thakre, Suresh Shetty, joined the agitation as police maintained strict security at Andheri.

However, suburban trains, BEST buses, schools and colleges functioned normally, though shops and commercial establishments downed shutters in many localities, including pockets where the opposition is influential.

Raj Thackeray-led Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) activists also led aggressive protests in Mumbai, Thane, Palghar, Pune, Nashik and others areas of the state.

As per preliminary reports, the shutdown has elicited mixed response in urban centres, but widespread support in the semi-urban and rural hinterland which have been badly hit by the spiraling fuel prices.

The shutdown has been supported by Nationalist Congress Party, Samajwadi Party, Janata Dal (S), RPI (G), Peasant and Workers Party, Left Parties, Swabhimani Shetkari Party, Peoples Republican Party.

(IANS)

A state-wide shutdown called by Kerala’s ruling Left and the Congress-led opposition to protest rising fuel prices, was observed on Monday.

While public vehicles remained off the roads in the state, private vehicles were seen plying in many places, while shops, markets and establishments remained shut.

“This is a protest against the wrong policies of Prime Minister Narendra Modi which has also led to the rupee reaching record lows. Under Modi, the country has reached a low,” Leader of Opposition Ramesh Chennithala said while inaugurating his party’s protest in Kochi.

In Kollam, agitated Congress workers protested outside the Head Post office, demanding that it should be closed.

In the state capital, the IT campus at Technopark is functioning and the ISRO units are also working as normal.

There was a complete shutdown in Kasargode, the town that shares a border with Karnataka, as interstate buses kept off the roads.

While the Congress workers are out on the streets, the ruling Left supporters appear to maintain a low profile and have stressed that relief operations in flood-affected areas will go on unaffected.

(IANS)