Bharat bandh: Virtually no impact on ground
A nationwide anti-quota bandh call, given largely through social media, turned out to be a damp squib on Tuesday with virtually no impact on the ground amid heavy security arrangements.
Shops remained closed in some parts of Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan for a few hours and internet services were restricted in sensitive areas to check "rumourmongering", but normal life remained largely unaffected, officials said.
Reports from Bihar showed attempts to block trains. A total of 127 people has been arrested by the police in Bihar for protesting against castebased reservations in jobs and education.
Tuesday's bandh call was made as a counter to the nationwide protest by various Dalit groups last week, which had turned violent in several states with at least 11 persons losing their lives, including eight in Madhya Pradesh.
While schools remained open in Bhopal, some of them suspended their bus services. Officials in Madhya Pradesh said that the bandh call was given on social media and no organisation had come forward so far to claim responsibility for it.
On Monday, the Union Home Ministry had issued an advisory to all states to beef up security and prevent violence during the Bharat Bandh against caste-based reservations in jobs and education.
Daytime curfew was imposed in Morena and Bhind, from where casualties were reported during the Dalit bandh. Besides, prohibitory orders under Section 144 of the CrPC were in place in Gwalior, Bhopal, Sagar and some other sensitive towns of the state to avoid any untoward incidents.
The internet services too have been blocked in the Gwalior-Chambal region to prevent rumour-mongering, officials said.
In Uttar Pradesh, life by and large remained normal and officials said there was no report of any untoward incident from anywhere in the state till around noon.
In Gujarat, the bandh evoked tepid response with most establishments and markets staying open in major cities and towns, an official said. Barring Idar and Khedbrahma towns in north Gujarat, where markets remained shut during the day in support of the bandh, the state remained unaffected, they said.
Khedbrahma MLA Ashwin Kotwal claimed shopkeepers joined the bandh out of fear.
There was mixed response in Punjab and Haryana with shops and commercial establishments remaining shut in some parts and protesters taking out marches in some areas.
Tight security arrangements were made by the Punjab police to avert any untoward incident.