BJP's shutdown hits normal life in Assam's Barak Valley

The BJP's 12-hour shutdown in Assam's Barak Valley against Cachar district police chief Rajveer Singh's alleged misbehaviour with party cadres and detention of some leaders, including Silchar legislator, drew a near total response.

Vehicular traffic remained off the road during the bandh except only a few private vehicles while government offices recorded thin attendance.

The bandh drew a total response in the valley's main town Silchar and some other parts with most of the business establishments, school and colleges remaining shut.

The BJP called the bandh in protest against the preventive detention of party MLA from Silchar constituency Dilip Paul on Saturday.

The bandh supporters blocked roads at many places by burning tyres and shouted slogans against the superintendent of police and burned his effigy. The bandh supporters also demanded immediate transfer of the police officer.

Assam Police took the BJP MLA and four others in preventive detention as they took part in a protest rally in Silchar following the recovery of a severed cow head from near a temple in the town's Meherpur area on late Friday.

"The bandh passed off peacefully barring few incidents... We have deployed adequate security personnel to ensure that the situation does not turn violent," Cachar Additional Superintendent of Police Subhashini Sankaran said.

The Bengali-dominated valley is the southern most part of Assam and has three districts -- Cachar, Karimganj and Hailakandi.