Bandh evokes good response in Uttar Pradesh

"The bandh was by and large peaceful. At some places trains were stopped but nothing untoward happened," IG (Law and Order) B P Singh told reporters here.

In state capital, where assembly session in underway, BJP, Left and SP workers held demonstrations and stopped a train near Alambagh to mark their protest against the hike.

BJP workers led by party state president Lakshmikant Bajpai rode a bullock-cart in front of party office to mark their protest against the hike.

"SP should pressurise Centre to reduce petrol rates and also should reduce VAT imposed by the state government to give relief to common man," BJP spokesman Vijay Bahadur Pathak said.

Raising anti-UPA slogans, SP workers took round of the city and urged traders not to open shops to make the bandh successful.

"We want UPA government to roll back price hike. The state government is not in a position to reduce VAT on petrol. The bandh call is successful," SP spokesman Rajendra Chowdhury said.

The left parties also took out cycle march, road side plays to highlight plight of common man due to petrol price rise.

In Varanasi, three trains were stopped by SP Chhatra Sabha activists and in Firozabad too, SP workers resorted to stopping trains but the situation was timely control.

In Bheemnagar, SP district president Firoz Khand set a car on fire to protest the price rise.

At Barabanki, Sultanpur, Mirzapur, Allahabad, Hardoi, Sitapur, Aligarh and other places processions were taken out in support of the bandh call.