Partial response to call for Pune Bandh

The 'Pune Bandh' called by Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) on Friday to protest the attack on party president and Union Agriculture minister Sharad Pawar, evoked a partial response here.

The impact of the bandh was marginal as many schools, commercial establishments and offices including Pune Mahanagar Parivahan Mahamandal Ltd (PMPML) remained open while some others were closed down as confusion prevailed over the shutdown call.

PMPML Public Relations Officer Deepaksingh Pardeshi said, "As we have not received anything official about observing a bandh, we have decided against it."

Meanwhile, two incidents of bus damage were reported from Lullanagar and Kondhwa areas. However, bus services continued to be normal in other places amidst heavy security arrangements made in the city in wake of the bandh call.

Nine platoons of the State Reserve Police Force (SRPF) and policemen have been deployed in various parts of the city to prevent any untoward incident, police said.

Pune Mayor Mohansingh Rajpal and city NCP chief Vandana Chavan, had called for the bandh on Thursday and appealed citizens to observe it to denounce the assault on Pawar, who was slapped by a Sikh youth in Delhi claiming to protest price rise and corruption.