LIVE: Congress' Bharat Bandh evokes mixed response; BJP calls it 'failure'

Congress and 20 other Opposition parties hit the streets today to protest the recent space of hikes in fuel prices and a fall in the value of the rupee

8:42 PM

Stalin urges Centre to rollback central excise duty

 

In the wake of fuel price hike, Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) president MK Stalin urged the Centre to rollback central excise duty and provide urgent relief to the people from the backbreaking burden.

 

The newly-elected DMK president took to Twitter and criticised the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Prime Minister Narendra Modi government by calling them "totally insensitive".

 

Backing the nationwide strike called by the Opposition on account of rising fuel prices and depreciating value of the Indian Rupee against US dollar, Stalin said that the anger of people is evident in Bharat Bandh.

8:02 PM

Congress hits streets in Uttarakhand during 'bandh'

Congress workers across Uttarakhand hit the streets to protest against the rise in petrol and diesel prices staging processions and burning effigies.

 

The 'Bharat Bandh' call given by the party, however, received a mixed response with visible impact in places like Uttarkashi and Rishikesh while in several other cities there was only isolated closure of shops.

 

In Rishikesh, Congress leaders took out a procession and burned an effigy evoking a spontaneous response with business establishments at Ram Jhula, Lakshman Jhula, Tapovan, Shyampur and Rani Pokhri areas who kept shutters down.

 

In state capital Dehradun, the response to the bandh was partial with a majority of shops transacting business as normal. However, some shops on Rajpur Road and Clock Tower areas remained shut for a couple of hours at noon.

8:01 PM

Bharat Bandh affects normal life in Assam

The Bharat Bandh called by the Congress and Left against rising fuel prices affected normal life across Assam even as the ruling BJP claimed that the shutdown was a failure.

 

Traffic went off the roads in most places including on National Highways. While government offices recorded thin attendance, most markets and educational institutions remained closed during the bandh hours.

 

Hundreds took to the streets in different places including in Guwahati and blocked roads to express their resentment against the rising fuel prices that have shot up prices of essential commodities.

6:06 PM

Govt rules out excise duty cut as petrol, diesel 

 

A cut in taxes on petrol and diesel is ruled out for now as neither the central government nor some states have the appetite to stomach revenue loss from such a move, a top government official.

 

While a cut in excise duty that the central government levies will impact fiscal deficit, states like Bihar, Kerala, and Punjab are not in a position to cut sales tax (or VAT), the official, who wished not to be identified, said.

 

The government, he said, anticipates that international oil prices, which together with a drop in the value of rupee has been fuelling the fuel price rise to record levels, will moderate in coming days to take pressure off.

5:35 PM

Bharat Bandh evokes mixed response in Punjab, Haryana

 

The nationwide call of Opposition-sponsored 'Bharat Bandh' against rising fuel prices evoked a mixed response in Punjab, Haryana and Union Territory Chandigarh. There was no report of any untoward incident in both the states.

 

Congress workers, however, held demonstrations and took out protest march at several places as part of the 'Bharat Bandh' call.

 

They also burnt effigies of the Centre against the spiralling fuel prices.

5:33 PM

Bharat bandh evokes good response in Chhattisgarh

 

Congress' Bharat Bandh against rising fuel prices evoked a good response in the BJP-ruled Chhattisgarh where many business establishments remained shut in major cities including Raipur and buses stayed off roads.

 

No untoward incident was reported from any part of the state, according to police.

 

The nationwide bandh has been called by the Congress over rising fuel prices and depreciation of the rupee.

 

AICC Chhattisgarh in-charge and senior leader PL Punia, state Congress chief Bhupesh Baghel joined the party workers in Raipur in appealing to businessmen to down their shutters.

 

The Chhattisgarh Chamber of Commerce (CCC) had supported the shutdown.

5:31 PM

Vegetable vendors sits idea as there are no customers due to Bharat band. BS Photo by Kamlesh Pednekar

5:12 PM

Hike in petrol price on the day oppn parties protesting shows govt's insensitivity: Akhilesh

 

Samajwadi Party supremo Akhilesh Yadav said hike in prices of petroleum products on the day opposition parties staged 'Bharat Bandh' shows government's "insensitivity" towards common people.

 

He claimed that demonetisation and GST were imposed to increase imports from China.

 

Petrol price Monday increased by 23 paisa a litre and diesel by 22 paisa a litre, according to the price notification issued by state fuel retailers.

 

Yadav said, "While the opposition is protesting, prices of petrol and diesel have been hiked again this morning. This reflects the government's audacity and arrogance and insensitivity towards the common man."

5:00 PM

4:57 PM

People willingly participated in Bharat Bandh against the govt & taught them a lesson. At least now, govt should reduce prices and mend its way. But they are not worried at all. So, we all need to save democracy. It is in danger: Ashok Gehlot, Congress

4:57 PM

Today’s Bharat Bandh has been successful across the country. Congress party has never held Bharat Bandh before, we don’t even believe in Bharat Bandh, but since the time Modi govt has come there has been a situation that led to this: Ashok Gehlot, Congress

4:35 PM

Pune Police arrests six Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) workers who were trying to forcefully close shops in the city.

4:34 PM

Bus services in Davanagere, Chamarajnagar, Kolar, Kolar Gold Fields, Bengaluru, Shimoga and Tumkur have now resumed: Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation PRO

4:34 PM

The new rates of petrol and diesel will come into effect from tomorrow morning, orders for the same will be issued later today, said Chandrababu Naidu

4:33 PM

Andhra Pradesh CM Chandrababu Naidu announces a reduction in petrol and diesel price by Rs 2 each, in the state.

4:33 PM

Why was there a Bharat Bandh in the first place? If you listen to the 2012 speeches of those in power today, they were shouting about petrol&diesel prices. Today the prices are surpassing prices of that time, Rupee has weakened against Dollar. We are in trouble, says Farooq Abdullah

4:26 PM

Union minister Ravi Shankar Prasad acknowledged that the people were facing "momentary difficulty" due to increasing petrol and diesel prices and said they understand that this was due to factors beyond the control of the central government.

 

Noting that oil prices had gone down after the Bharatiya Janata Party government came to power in May 2014, before they went up, he said it is a problem whose solution is not in its hands.

 

"We are standing with people in their problem. We are trying to redress the issue and will do that," he told a press conference.

2:52 PM

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath slammed the opposition parties for their 'Bharat Bandh'. He said this kind of "negative thinking" will obliterate them from the opposition benches soon.

 

"This (Bandh) is a manifestation of their (opposition parties) negative thinking. India is rising as the biggest economy in the world under Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Welfare schemes are being launched, people are getting benefits. In such a scenario, nothing else can be expected from the desperate and demoralised opposition, which has no leadership or plans or strategy for the future," Adityanath said.

 

"May God bless them and give them wisdom... They should cooperate on the issue of development and play a positive role instead of adopting a negative approach, otherwise they will not be able to sit even in the opposition," he said.

2:51 PM

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

 

All government offices, including the civil secretariat, conducted business as usual and public vehicles plied on roads like any other day, Officiating AIG (Law and Order) Subrata Chakraborty said.

 

"The strike was totally violence-free and no untoward incident was reported from any part of the state so far. More than 400 picketers were detained for trying to enforce bandh," he told PTI.

2:49 PM

Gujarat: The Congress called the shutdown in the sttae successful while the police claimed it had no major impact.

 

Police said that over 300 Congress functionaries were detained across the state, including state party chief Amit Chavda and Gujarat party in-charge Rajiv Satav from Lal Darwaja area here.

 

Schools were shut in areas including Ahmedabad, Rajkot and Mehsana and there were reports of Congress workers forcing petrol pumps to down shutters in some parts of the state.

 

In Rajkot, government schools remained open while private schools declared a holiday.

 

Roads in some areas, including Chhotaudepur and Surat, were blocked with burning tyres by protesting Congress workers while bus services were affected in many areas like Rajkot, Amreli and Ahmedabad.

2:37 PM

Congress President Rahul Gandhi with senior leader Ghulam Nabi Azad and others during 'Bharat Bandh' protest march against fuel price hike and depreciation of the rupee, at Rajghat in New Delhi, Monday (Photo: Dalip Kumra)

2:36 PM

Congress President Rahul Gandhi during 'Bharat Bandh' protest against fuel price hike and depreciation of the rupee, at Rajghat in New Delhi, Monday (Photo: Dalip Kumar)

2:32 PM

1:52 PM

Mizoram: Shops, offices and educational institutions were open in Congress-ruled Mizoram as there was no impact of the 'Bharat Bandh' anywhere in the state, officials said.

 

Neither the Mizoram Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC) nor the opposition parties joined the nation-wide bandh called by the Congress and supported by 21 political parties protesting against the unprecedented rise in fuel prices.

1:37 PM

Bihar: Arson, vandalism and disruption of rail and road traffic were reported from various parts of Bihar Monday during the 'Bharat Bandh'. In the state capital, bandh supporters indulged in vandalism in the old Patna city area where they also placed burning tyres on railway tracks, disrupting movement of trains.

 

Private schools and a sizeable number of shopping establishments remained closed, fearing nuisance during the six-hour-long bandh which is also supported by the RJD, CPI and CPI(M).

 

Government offices and banks were, however, functioning normally and at some places, the bandh supporters were seen making way for ambulances and hearses.

1:31 PM

Jammu: Congress Party workers burn tyres during 'Bharat Bandh' protest called by Congress and other parties against fuel price hike and depreciation of the rupee, in Jammu

1:18 PM

1:18 PM

Uttar Pradesh: Partial response. While shops and other business establishments were closed in some parts of the state, life was normal in most of the areas, including the state capital. The protests are being led by Uttar Pradesh Congress Committee (UPCC) chief Raj Babbar. Congress supporters were spotted urging shopkeepers to down their shutters in Hazratganj and Janpath. While some shopkeepers yielded to their demands others extended their support to the cause but refused to close their shops.

1:00 PM

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12:56 PM