Congress workers across north India hit the streets Monday to protest the "steep hike" in fuel prices even as the 'Bharat Bandh' call given by the party evoked a mixed response.
Normal life was largely unaffected in Delhi, Uttar Pradesh and Himachal Pradesh while schools and shops were closed at several places in Rajasthan. The 'bandh' call evoked a mixed response in Punjab, Haryana and Uttarakhand.
In the national capital, offices, schools and colleges opened at regular time despite the 'Bharat Bandh' call. Traffic movement was normal across the city.
However, roads leading to Rajghat and Ramlila Maidan where Congress chief Rahul Gandhi and party top brass, including Sonia Gandhi and Manmohan Singh, held a protest witnessed traffic congestion.
Congress workers staged 'dharnas' at petrol pumps to protest the hike in fuel prices. Heavy police deployment was made in the city with reserve police personnel and motorcycle patrols being put on high alert, a senior officer said.
Congress leaders, including Delhi unit chief Ajay Maken, protested by riding a bullock cart to a petrol pump near Rajendra Place. A scooter was kept down on the cart symbolising the "plight of the common man", party leaders said.
"The prices of fuel have gone up without any break because the AAP government in Delhi and the BJP-ruled central government have kept on increasing VAT and excise duties on petroleum products," Maken said.
In neighbouring Uttar Pradesh, protests had little impact on normal life as most commercial establishments and educational institutions functioned as usual.
Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath slammed the Opposition accusing it of "negative thinking".
"This (bandh) is a manifestation of their negative thinking. India is rising as the biggest economy in the world under Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Welfare schemes are being launched, people are getting benefits. In such a scenario, nothing else can be expected from the desperate and demoralised opposition, which has no leadership or plans or strategy for the future," Adityanath told reporters in Lucknow.
He said the opposition should play a positive role.
Hitting back, Congress state president Raj Babbar said, "The rise in prices of petrol and diesel have severely affected common man and government is not serious towards their problems."
Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav said that even as the opposition was protesting, prices of petrol and diesel were hiked again this morning. This reflects the government's arrogance and callousness towards the common man, he alleged.
The 'Bharat Bandh' call evoked a mixed response in Punjab, Haryana and Union Territory Chandigarh.
Though the Chandigarh Congress unit claimed that the bandh call had public support, local BJP MP Kirron Kher said there was no impact. She also posted a video of the markets on Twitter, saying all the shops and markets were open.
Punjab Congress chief Sunil Jakhar, who was leading the protest in Jalandhar, said the Centre had turned a "blind eye" to the sufferings of common man.
"The way prices of petrol and diesel are going upwards, the days are not far when it will cross the Rs 100 per litre mark," he said.
In Haryana also, Congress workers took out protest marches and held demonstrations at Ambala, Panchkula, Yamunanagar, Rohtak and Panipat. Haryana Congress MLAs led by former chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda took out a protest march in Chandigarh.
In Srinagar, the Jammu and Kashmir unit of the Congress took out a protest rally.
However, there was no affect of the bandh call on the normal life in the valley.
In Jammu, several hundred Congress activists were detained as the party staged protests across the region. The party's call to the business community and transporters to join the strike, however, failed to evoke much response.
Schools and markets remained closed in Rajasthan during the opposition-sponsored 'Bharat Bandh'.
The Congress held demonstrations and rallies in various districts including state capital Jaipur where PCC president Sachin Pilot, AICC general secretary Avinash Pande led the protest march.
"Public has supported the bandh and we are getting a good response from all cities and towns. The state government has reduced only four per cent VAT on diesel and petrol which is insufficient and the government will have to provide more relief to public," Pilot told reporters.
The bandh call evoked a mixed response in Himachal Pradesh. Many shops were shut till noon in Lower Bazar, Middle Bazar, Ram Bazar and Lakkar Bazar in Shimla.
As per reports, some shops and business establishments remained closed in Solan, Chamba, Sirmaur, Dharamshala, Kangra, Palampur, Mandi, Rampur, Kullu, Una and Hamirpur.
Congress workers across Uttarakhand hit the streets to protest against the rise in petrol and diesel prices. The 'Bharat Bandh' call given by the party, however, received a mixed response with visible impact in places like Uttarkashi and Rishikesh while in several other cities there was only isolated closure of shops.
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