Bandh gets mixed response

The bandh had little or no response in Tamil Nadu, West Bengal and Tripura.

In Delhi, no untoward incident was reported but several arterial roads were blocked. Shops and business establishments remained closed in a few areas.

GUJARAT: With the state BJP opting out, the bandh got a lukewarm response in the state. Most of the business establishments, small shops and offices functioned as usual in Ahmedabad while some malls and shopping centres remained closed.

MAHARASHTRA: Incidents of stone-pelting and road blockades were reported in some parts of Maharashtra, including Mumbai and Thane. Five BEST buses were damaged in Mumbai8217;s suburban Kandivili areas in stone-throwing by protestors, police said. VHP supporters halted traffic on some key roads in Vakola, Malad and Borivilli areas in north-west Mumbai and in the northeastern suburb of Ghatkopar, causing hardship to officegoers, police said, adding the saffron activists were dispersed and vehicular movement restored.

Reports of stone pelting on state-owned buses came in from Maharashtra8217;s Thane region where BJP and VHP workers forced shop-owners to down shutters.

PUNJAB: Scores of BJP activists stopped the Howrah-Amritsar express in Ludhiana and stopped road traffic and forced closure of shops in certain parts of the state. Delhi-Bhopal Shatabdi express was stopped by BJP and VHP workers for about 30 minutes in the cantonment station in Agra where protestors got some markets shut and a section of lawyers owing allegiance to the saffron outfits boycotted courts.

WEST BENGAL: The bandh had little impact with public transport largely remaining unaffected. Some disruption in train schedules was reported in the Sealdah section as BJP workers squatted on tracks.

TAMIL NADU: The bandh evoked little response in Tamil Nadu. Shops and commercial establishments remained open in the city and other parts of the state. Buses and other vehicles plied as usual and there were noreports of any untoward incidents, police said.

ANDHRA PRADESH: Minor incidents were reported during an otherwise peaceful bandh across the state. There was complete bandh in Hyderabad, Medak, Warangal, Karimangar, Kurnool, Nizamabad districts where BJP cadres staged 8220;rasta roko8221; demonstrations, stopped state transport buses. Elsewhere, the bandh was partial.

UTTARAKHAND: The bandh evoked a good response in the state, with business establishments and educational institutions remaining largely shut during the day. The bandh was largely peaceful except for an incident of police canecharge against protestors at Roorkee. Rail traffic experienced small delays at Hardwar and Dehradun.

JHARKHAND: Normal life came to a standstill but barring stray incidents of picketing and road blockade, it passed off peacefully. The protestors blocked the National Highway 33, paralysing traffic on the Ranchi-Patna highway for nearly two hours. The traffic was restored in the afternoon after the police intervened and lifted the blockade.