Life came to a standstill in Puducherry on Friday during the Opposition-sponsored bandh to condemn the death of 13 people in the police firings on May 22 and 23 in Thoothukudi and to demand the closure of Sterlite Copper plant.
The strike evoked good response and was peaceful in Puducherry and its suburbs. Public transport was affected with buses and autorickshaws off the road.
The government-run Puducherry Road Transport Corporation (PRTC) suspended its services and the normally busy new bus stand was deserted.
Grand Bazaar, which houses a number of wholesale and retail vegetable outlets and fish vending stalls, was empty as the traders did not go about their routine activities.
Shops on arterial roads such as Jawaharlal Nehru Street, Mahatma Gandhi Street, Kamarajar Salai, Anna Salai, Mission Street, Ambalathadayar Madam Street and Bussy Street were shut.
Hotels closed
Most hotels and restaurants were closed causing inconvenience to tourists. Cinemas suspended morning and noon shows. Medical shops remained open as they were exempted from the bandh.
About 110 cadres belonging to the DMK, the Congress, the CPI(M), the CPI and the Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi, led by DMK MLA R. Siva, were taken into custody after they blocked the road in front of the new bus stand condemning the police firing and demanding the permanent closure of the Sterlite plant.
Two hundred and thirty eight persons belonging to the Students Federation of India (SFI), Dravidar Kazhagam, CPI (ML), MDMK, the VCK and the CPI(M) were arrested after they resorted to road blockades at Villianur, Bahour and Maraimalai Adigal Salai.
They were released in the evening. Heavy police pickets were posted across the city.
