Bharat Bandh: Normal life hit in Cong-JDS ruled Karnataka

Normal life was thrown out ofgear Monday during the 'Bharat Bandh' in Congress-JDS coalition ruled Karnataka to protest the rise in prices of petroleum products.

By and large, the bandh was peaceful except for some minor incidents of violence, police said.

Roads in the country's IT capital were bereft of notorious traffic congestions as government buses and most of private taxis and autorickshaws did not ply.

Business establishments, shops, malls and cinema theatres were closed.

The busy central bus stand in Bengaluru, which is normally bustling with activity, also wore a deserted look.

Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation buses kept off the roads, officials said.

Hundreds of workers belonging to the Congress, JD(S), Left parties and various other outfits took to the streets toensure the bandh was a success.

They raised slogans against the hike in petrol and diesel prices.

The shutdown was successful in many other parts of the state including Tumakuru, Ramanagar, Mandya, Channapatna, Hassan, Mangaluru, Chamarajnagar, Mysuru, Hubballi, Bidar and Kolar.

In Mangaluru, incidents of stone pelting at hotels and shops, which remained open, were reported.

There were reports of skirmishes between police and Congress workersin Udupi whereas in Chikkamagaluru, some traders were assaulted allegedly by pro-bandh activists.

As the day wore on, normalcy returned with shops opening and vehicles plying.

Karnataka Congress president Dinesh Gundu Rao called the bandh successful and spontaneous.

"The Centre must see this trend and sense the tremendous public anger against its policies, especially the enormous hike in the fuel prices," Rao said.

BJP state chief B S Yeddyurappa condemned the shutdownand called it a conspiracy by the coalition government of theCongress and JD(S) for forcibly making the bandh successful.

"It's an ill-intended bandh to trouble the common man and mislead them. This bandh is benefiting only the extortionists. People know what's happening.

Nowhere in the country it's successful except for Karnataka because it's aconspiracy of the Congress and JD(S)," Yeddyurappa said.

Tight security arrangements were made by the Karnataka Police in view of the bandh.

The 'Bharat Bandh' was called by the Congress to protest the spiralling prices of petroleum products and supported by its allies in various states.