Little response to anti-quota bandh in MP

The anti-quota bandh today evoked little response in Madhya Pradesh and largely passed off peacefully.

Today's call for nationwide shutdown was widely seen a retaliation to the 'Bharat Bandh' called by several Dalit groups on April 2 which left left eight people, including six members of the scheduled caste community, dead in Madhya Pradesh.

"The bandh passed off peacefully in the entire state. At Sidhi, some people tried to take out a protest march but they were dispersed after the police lobbed tear gas shells," Inspector General of Police (Law and Order) Makrand Deouskar told PTI.

Heavy police force was deployed in sensitive areas across the state to prevent a rerun of the April 2 violence.

Schools and education institutes, government offices, petrol pumps remained open almost in the entire state. At a few places, the markets remained shut for a while.

Normal life was affected for better part of the day in Morena and Bhind districts as curfew remained in force there. It was clamped in the two districts following the killing of five people there on April 2.

Four men were killed in Bhind, one in Morena and three in Gwalior on April 2.

Prohibitory orders under section 144 of CrPC were enforced in Gwalior, Bhopal, Sagar and some other sensitive towns of the state to avoid any untoward incident.

Internet services remained suspended in the Gwalior-Chambal region to prevent rumour-mongering, a police officer said.

The state had witnessed widespread violence during the 'Bharat Bandh' on April 2 called by Dalit outfits protesting against the "dilution" of the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.