Bharat Bandh Against Fuel Price Hike Hits Life In Many States, Rahul Gandhi Leads Protest

The Opposition parties are observing a Bharat Bandh on Monday against rise in fuel prices.

As many as 20 political parties, including the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) and the Samajwadi Party (SP), have extended their support to the Congress party, which called for the Bandh.

Traffic blockades reported in Bihar

Reports of traffic blockades have so far come from rural areas of Patna district, Muzaffarpur, Lakhisarai and Nalanda districts, police said.

In the state capital, private schools remained closed.  In Bihar, the bandh which has been called by the Congress, is being supported by the RJD, NCP, Samajwadi Party, Left Front, SP and HAM(S).

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58 Congress activists taken into custody in Jharkhand

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.

Normal life hit in Karnataka

Normal life was thrown out of gear during the 'Bharat Bandh' called by the Congress and supported by JD(S), its ally in the coalition government, and other parties, to protest the rise in prices of petroleum products.

Roads in the city wore a deserted look since morning as government buses, private taxis and most of the autorickshaws did not ply. Business establishments, shops, malls, certain private enterprises remained closed.

The busy central bus stand in Bengaluru, which is normally bustling with activity also wore a deserted look, sources said.

KSRTC buses kept off the road, sources said, adding city buses also did not ply.

 West Bengal likely to witness shut down

The ruling Trinamool Congress had expressed support on the issues, including the depreciation of the rupee, but said it was against a bandh.

 The Congress has called the bandh for six hours from 9 am, while the CPI(M)-led Left Front called a 12-hour bandh starting from 6 am.

Bandh supporters protested on the railway tracks at Jadavpur station which was, however, withdrawn after commuters started protesting.

 Additional police personnel were deployed in the state to ensure that there was no disruption or violence in connection with the bandh call.

ALSO READ: Opposition Parties Join Hands For Bharat Bandh Over Rising Fuel Price

Tamil Nadu remains unaffected

Normal life largely remained unaffected here Monday in view of the "Bharat Bandh" called by the Congress to protest the rising prices of petroleum products, as the public transport operated smoothly while most commercial establishments remained open.

Police sources said government buses were plying as usual even as educational institutions and a large number of shops and commercial establishments remained open.

However, autorickshaws affiliated to trade unions participating in Monday's shutdown kept off the roads but a majority of them were plying, they said.

In Coimbatore, normal life was not affected as shops and commercial establishments opened as usual. Police said city buses were operating but those bound for Kerala were not plying.

 Security heightened in Pune and Mumbai

Security was heightened in various parts of Pune in view of the Bharat Bandh announced by the Congress Party against the hike in prices of petrol and diesel under the present dispensation.

In the wake of the same, the Mumbai Police served a notice to Maharashtra Navnirman Sena party (MNS) under section 149, which states that in case of any law and order situation in Mumbai, the party will be held responsible for the same.

Bharat Bandh evokes partial response in Telangana, Andhra

A day-long Bharat Bandh or nationwide shutdown called by the Congress and Left parties to protest rising fuel prices evoked partial response in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh on Monday.

Bus services were affected since early morning in both the Telugu states. Many private educational institutions also remained closed.

Activists of the Congress and the Left parties launched a sit-in at the depots of state road transport corporations to prevent buses from plying on the roads.

BJD neither opposing nor supporting bandh called by Congress

The ruling Biju Janata Dal in Odisha Sunday said it is neither opposing nor supporting the 'Bharat Bandh' called by the Congress on Monday to protest the hike in fuel prices.

The state government had also directed all district collectors to take preventive measures to maintain law and order and ensure maintenance of essential services in the districts during the planned strike.

Congress activists protest across Punjab

The protests were held in Ludhiana, Amritsar, Jalandhar, Patiala, Bathinda, Ferozepur and other towns across Punjab.

In Ludhiana, the protest was led by MP Ravneet Singh Bittu. He said that the Central government has failed to deliver on any of the promises made to the people in the 2014 general elections.

Over 400 bandh supporters detained in Tripura

Around 400 bandh supporters were detained in different parts of Tripura Monday for trying
to disrupt normal life, a senior police officer said.

Bandh affects normal life in Assam

Congress workers attempted to stop movement of trains by squatting on the railway tracks and tried to block national highways and main roads across the state by burning tyres and setting up bamboo barricades, police said.

In Guwahati, Assam Congress president and Rajya Sabha MP Ripun Bora along with party in-charge for the state Harish Rawat led hundreds of sloganeering party workers during a rally this morning. The protestors tried to forcibly enter the state secretariat, officials said.