BJP's shutdown evokes near total response in Assam

The 12-hour Assam shutdown called by the BJP Friday to protest the central government's move to introduce a constitutional amendment bill for a land swap deal with Bangladesh drew a near total response in most districts across the state.

The shutdown evoked a near total response in upper Assam districts like Tinsukia, Dibrugarh, Jorhat, Nalbari and also in the entire Barak Valley and a partial response in lower Assam districts like Dhubri, Barpeta and others.

Crowds of shutdown supporters came out on the streets at many places and blocked the roads with burning tyres. In some districts, they pelted stones at private and public vehicles plying on the roads in defiance of the shutdown.

In Assam's main town Guwahati also, the supporters took to the streets and burnt tyres to block the main roads to disrupt movement of vehicles.

Some agitators also tried to block the railway tracks at Nalbari, which led to delay in the movement of some trails.

Government offices recorded thin attendance across the state while the educational institutions and schools and colleges also remained closed in most of the places during the bandh hours.

Police said that over five hundred bandh supporters were taken into custody across the state for trying to stop the movement of vehicles. They were released later.

A railway spokesman, however, said that most of the trains ran at their scheduled times during the day except a local train which was blocked at Nalbari. Similarly, the inbound and outbound flights also remained unaffected by the bandh and maintained their routine schedule, officials said.