About 6,000 private buses will keep off the roads in 29 districts of the State on Sunday.
The Federation of Bus Operators Associations of Tamil Nadu has taken the decision in support of AIADMK general secretary Jayalalithaa, who has been convicted in a corruption case and jailed in the Bangalore central prison, says a statement adding that members of the federation will sit in fast in all district headquarters during the day.
Asked if the federation was forced to announce the strike, an office bearer said: “There is no demand as such. This is purely in support of Ms. Jayalalithaa. The AIADMK governments have helped us survive in the trade for decades,” he added.
The federation runs fleets in all districts, except Chennai, The Nilgiris and Kanyakumari. Unwilling to get into any political controversy, the federation members say the members belong to all political parties.
The stoppage of services on a Sunday might not affect the public at large.
There are 20,000 government buses and 7,000 minibuses besides omni buses. “We cater to about only five per cent of the transport services on Sundays,” the office bearer noted.
As many as 119 AIADMK MLAs observed a fast in front of the MGR Memorial on Kamarajar Salai from 8am to 5pm on Saturday demanding the release of Ms. Jayalalithaa, from prison.
“It was a peaceful protest. We did not even raise slogans,” said a MLA. The Ministers attended office and were asked not to participate, said sources in the party.
DMDK’s rebel MLAs also participated in the fast. The protesters wore black shirts and women MLAs were clad in black saris. The MLAs carried placards seeking justice and immediate release of their party supremo.
In Tirupur There was partial response to a call given by certain textile associations to stop garment production in Tirupur knitwear cluster on Saturday to express support and to seek the release of Ms. Jayalalithaa from prison.
Since the cluster was busy executing orders to meet the Deepavali demand and keen on meeting the deadline for export orders, a good number of entrepreneurs did not respond to the shutdown call.
Those who chose to run their units and major trade unionists said the call to stop production on this particular issue would cause disrespect to the judicial system.
Meanwhile, unions began issuing statements to various textile associations asking them to pay full wages for the day to workers.
The associations that made the call for production stoppage included the Tirupur Exporters Association, Dyers Association of Tirupur, South India Hosiery Manufacturers Association, Knit Cloth Manufacturers Association and a few more.
Protest in Kodanad Hundreds of employees of the Kodanad Tea Estate observed a fast near the estate on Saturday. Demonstrations condemning the imprisonment of Ms. Jayalalithaa continued in various parts of The Nilgiris.
