The nationwide bandh against hike in diesel prices and FDI in multi-brand retail trade evoked mixed response in the State as it was enforced successfully in the districts, but there was not much of impact in the State capital.
The State-run bus services were the biggest casualty as 3,302 out of 16,521 (20 per cent) buses were confined to depots. About 250 buses were cancelled in Hyderabad. The leaders and activists of all the Opposition parties squatted in front of the depots to prevent buses from taking to the roads in the morning.
There was no bandh-related violence anywhere in the State, but police rounded off several agitators for enforcing the call. Shops, banks, cinema halls and other commercial centres remained closed while government offices reported thin attendance in districts. But nothing of the sort was witnessed in Hyderabad where banks transacted business behind shutters.
The managements of schools declared holiday and party supporters crisscrossed roads in procession on motorcycles holding aloft party flags. They also indulged in symbolic cooking, eating and playing cricket on roads. There was hardly any traffic on roads in many centres. The train passengers did not get autorickshaws to ferry them home when they arrived at railway stations.
In Hyderabad, many private schools were closed resulting in two consecutive holidays as Vinayaka Chaturthi was on Wednesday. City bus operations were curtailed to some extent in the morning hours causing inconvenience to commuters. Many petrol bunks were closed in the morning.
A good number of cinema halls and multiplexes cancelled shows. The bandh call had little effect in old city. The courts functioned normally.
‘Clear message to UPA’
Senior BJP leader M. Venkaiah Naidu said Thursday’s countrywide bandh sent a clear message to the UPA government to roll back the recent decisions on diesel price hike and in allowing FDI in multi-brand retail.
Addressing a press conference here, he claimed that the bandh was a grand success. It was a people’s bandh against the anti-people’s policies of the government. Speciality of the bandh was that allies of the coalition government and those supporting it from outside also participated.
Referring to the moves to forge a third front, he said it was a “failed experiment”.
