MP: Bharat Bandh evokes mixed response, state remains peaceful

The nationwide call for 'Bharat Bandh' against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) evoked a mixed response in major cities of Madhya Pradesh on Wednesday and no untoward incident was reported in the state, police said.

Although stray incidents of conflict were reported at a few places in the state, the situation was immediately brought under control there, police said.

The bandh call elicited mixed response in four major cities in the state- Bhopal, Jabalpur, Indore and Raisen.

"Today's bandh remained largely peaceful throughout the state. No untoward incident occurred anywhere during the bandh," Inspector General (IG), Law and Order, Manoj Sharma told PTI.

Shops in some Muslim-dominated areas in Bhopal remained shut.

Some groups held an anti-CAA demonstration at Iqbal Maidan in the old city area of Bhopal as part of the 'Bharat Bandh'.

Talking to PTI, Madhya Pradesh Congress Committee secretary Abdul Nafees claimed that the Bharat Bandh was a "success".

He said anti-CAA rallies were taken out in different parts of Bhopal, which converged at Iqbal Maidan. Congress MLA Arif Masood and leaders of various organisations addressed the gathering there.

Jabalpur, which had witnessed violence during an anti-CAA protest earlier this month, remained peaceful during the bandh on Wednesday.

Although the bandh did not have much impact in most of parts of the city, shops remained shut in Gohalpur, Raddi Chowk, Char Khamba and Madar Tekri areas.

In Indore, the commercial capital of Madhya Pradesh, shops and other establishments remained shut in Khajrana, Bombay Bazaar, Barwali Chowki, Chandan Nagar, Sirpur and some other areas.

However, establishments and major markers in other areas of the city were operating as usual. Normal life largely remained unaffected due to the bandh.

Police personnel were deployed in some sensitive areas of Indore in view of the bandh.

The bandh also evoked mixed response in Raisen city, about 44 kms from the state capital, Raisen's Superintendent of Police (SP) Monika Shukla said.

The bandh did not affect the normal life in Gwalior.