Nationwide bandh cripples normal life across the country
merisarkar news service
New Delhi, July 05, 2010
Bharat Bandh crippled normal life
Normal life was disrupted in several parts of the country during the 'Bharat Bandh' called by a combined opposition on Monday to protest against fuel price hike and steep rise in inflation.
The impact of Bandh was clearer on NDA and Left ruled states besides Maharashtra. Protesters targeted trains and buses at many places and clashed with police forces.
Several top NDA leaders including BJP president Nitin Gadkari and his colleagues Rajnath Singh and Arun Jaitley and JD(U) Chief Sharad Yadav courted arrest while leading protest rallies in Delhi and Lucknow. CPI-M leader Brinda Karat and CPI's top brass - A B Bardhan and D Raja - also courted arrest during the bandh in a show of strength by the opposition trying to make common cause on the price rise issue to corner the Congress.
Security personnel were out in full strength to ensure there was no major law and order problem while hundreds of bandh supporters were taken into preventive custody. Banking operations largely remained unaffected.
BJP and CPM leaders claimed the bandh was an unprecedented success. Scores of flights were grounded in commercial airline hubs such as Mumbai and Kolkata while protesters attacked buses and trains, blocked roads with burning tyres and organised sit-down protests on key road intersections and inter-city railway links.
