Barring some stone pelting on a couple of buses, the dawn-to-dusk bandh called today by some pro-Tamil outfits here protesting the April 7 gunning down of 20 woodcutters in Andhra Pradesh passed off peacefully.
Shops and establishments remained closed in and around Puducherry. Privately operated inter-state and intra-state bus services were suspended as a precautionary measure by fleet operators causing hardship to commuters, police said.
However, the government-owned buses operated as usual between Puducherry and other neighbouring states.
Police said two buses belonging to the State Transport Corporation were pelted with stones on Puducherry-Villupuram and Puducherry-Kottakuppam routes by unidentified groups. No one was injured in the incident, police said, adding that cases have been registered.
Attendance at government offices was normal, officials said.
The bandh was called by outfits like the Periyar Dravidar Viduthalai Kazhagam and Tamizhar Iyakkam.
The Congress, Janata Dal (United) and a few other outfits extended support to the bandh.
Police took into custody around 60 activists of various outfits for staging dharnas in busy localities.
Police were deployed in strength at various centres. Some private schools cancelled classes and put off school examinations to a later date. Vegetable shops remained closed and cinema houses also cancelled the morning shows in view of the bandh.
