The bandh call given by the BJP-led Opposition parties in the national capital evoked average to poor response in various parts of the national Capital.
While major markets in the walled city, the main wholesale trading hub, remained closed, shopping arcades in other areas opened in the afternoon. Vehicular movement remained normal all through the day. Except New Delhi district, the area around Jantar Mantar, there was not much protest on Delhi roads. Few sporadic incidents of blocking of traffic were reported from some places.
The markets in various parts of the city started opening gradually in afternoon. Senior party leaders, including BJP national president Nitin Gadkari, NDA convenor Sharad Yadav, Delhi BJP president Vijender Gupta and Vijay Kumar Malhotra, along with party workers marched from Chandni Chowk to Lal Quila before courting arrest.
Big shopping arcades such as Khan Market, Connaught Place, Bengali Market and Greater Kailash in New and South Delhi started functioning post afternoon. Markets in Karol Bagh, Chandni Chowk, Kashmere Gate, Shahdara and Laxmi Nagar, however, remained shut while small shops were open.
Autos and buses were operating, though a section of auto drivers led by a BJP-controlled union forced closure of operation for sometime at New Delhi railway station.
Buses of state-run Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) were on roads in large numbers. ‘There was no impact on DTC bus service during the Bandh and no untoward incident was reported regarding loss to DTC property. A total of 4,844 buses strolled out of depots,’ said a senior transport official.
According to a Delhi Metro Rail Corporation release, while the Metro services remained affected, significantly lesser number of passengers used the service. He said on Wednesday, till 8 pm, about 16 lakh people boarded the trains while on Thursday, it was down to 13.75 lakh.
‘We are not forcing the auto drivers to participate in the bandh. We said whosoever wants to support the bandh should not ply their auto or taxi. Over 50 percent of the auto drivers are not plying today (Thursday),’ Rajendra Soni of the Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh said.
While at neighbourhood shops it was business as usual, the big markets observed the shutdown till 1 pm. These included Khan Market, Connaught Place, Sarojini Nagar, and Greater Kailash.
‘About 21 markets in the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) area will open after 1 pm. We decided to participate in the bandh for half a day as traders and not to support any political party. The central government decision will badly affect us. The big markets in NDMC areas like Shankar Market, Gole Market, Janpath Bhavan will be open after 1 pm,’ Sanjiv Mehra, president, Khan Market Traders Association, said.
Government-run schools, Delhi government schools and municipal corporation schools, were open on Thursday but some private schools had asked students to stay at home.
‘All schools of the capital’s three corporations and those run by the Delhi government were open,’ a Delhi government official said.
Delhi unit Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) members said they had staged protests at around 160 locations in the capital since 8 am on Thursday.
Delhi Police said they were well prepared to tackle any law and order situation that may arise. ‘In view of Bharat Bandh, police are ready to deal with any untoward incident,’ Delhi Police spokesperson Rajan Bhagat said.
The bandh has been called to protest the central government’s decision to allow FDI in multi brand retail and increase in diesel prices.
Some schools were also closed in the city as precautionery measure. BJP supporters tried to block vehicular movement on Vikas Marg, Burari and burnt effigies of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Congress president Sonia Gandhi and Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit at several places.
‘The Bandh was successful. It shows that both central and state governments have lost the confidence of people. They must roll back their decisions of FDI in retail, reducing subsidy of LPG, increasing diesel price and hike in electricity bills in Delhi,’ said Gupta, Delhi state BJP president.
Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit said the Delhi Bandh called by various political parities had ‘negligible impact’ in Delhi.
‘Delhiites are mature enough to understand the ill effects of Bandh. They are not at all interested in creating any such situation leading to disturbance in law and order and normalcy. They keep themselves aloof from the efforts of political parties to derive political mileage out of any non-issues,’ said Dikshit in a statement to media.
While major markets in the walled city, the main wholesale trading hub, remained closed, shopping arcades in other areas opened in the afternoon. Vehicular movement remained normal all through the day. Except New Delhi district, the area around Jantar Mantar, there was not much protest on Delhi roads. Few sporadic incidents of blocking of traffic were reported from some places.
The markets in various parts of the city started opening gradually in afternoon. Senior party leaders, including BJP national president Nitin Gadkari, NDA convenor Sharad Yadav, Delhi BJP president Vijender Gupta and Vijay Kumar Malhotra, along with party workers marched from Chandni Chowk to Lal Quila before courting arrest.
Big shopping arcades such as Khan Market, Connaught Place, Bengali Market and Greater Kailash in New and South Delhi started functioning post afternoon. Markets in Karol Bagh, Chandni Chowk, Kashmere Gate, Shahdara and Laxmi Nagar, however, remained shut while small shops were open.
Autos and buses were operating, though a section of auto drivers led by a BJP-controlled union forced closure of operation for sometime at New Delhi railway station.
Buses of state-run Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) were on roads in large numbers. ‘There was no impact on DTC bus service during the Bandh and no untoward incident was reported regarding loss to DTC property. A total of 4,844 buses strolled out of depots,’ said a senior transport official.
According to a Delhi Metro Rail Corporation release, while the Metro services remained affected, significantly lesser number of passengers used the service. He said on Wednesday, till 8 pm, about 16 lakh people boarded the trains while on Thursday, it was down to 13.75 lakh.
‘We are not forcing the auto drivers to participate in the bandh. We said whosoever wants to support the bandh should not ply their auto or taxi. Over 50 percent of the auto drivers are not plying today (Thursday),’ Rajendra Soni of the Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh said.
While at neighbourhood shops it was business as usual, the big markets observed the shutdown till 1 pm. These included Khan Market, Connaught Place, Sarojini Nagar, and Greater Kailash.
‘About 21 markets in the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) area will open after 1 pm. We decided to participate in the bandh for half a day as traders and not to support any political party. The central government decision will badly affect us. The big markets in NDMC areas like Shankar Market, Gole Market, Janpath Bhavan will be open after 1 pm,’ Sanjiv Mehra, president, Khan Market Traders Association, said.
Government-run schools, Delhi government schools and municipal corporation schools, were open on Thursday but some private schools had asked students to stay at home.
‘All schools of the capital’s three corporations and those run by the Delhi government were open,’ a Delhi government official said.
Delhi unit Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) members said they had staged protests at around 160 locations in the capital since 8 am on Thursday.
Delhi Police said they were well prepared to tackle any law and order situation that may arise. ‘In view of Bharat Bandh, police are ready to deal with any untoward incident,’ Delhi Police spokesperson Rajan Bhagat said.
The bandh has been called to protest the central government’s decision to allow FDI in multi brand retail and increase in diesel prices.
Some schools were also closed in the city as precautionery measure. BJP supporters tried to block vehicular movement on Vikas Marg, Burari and burnt effigies of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Congress president Sonia Gandhi and Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit at several places.
‘The Bandh was successful. It shows that both central and state governments have lost the confidence of people. They must roll back their decisions of FDI in retail, reducing subsidy of LPG, increasing diesel price and hike in electricity bills in Delhi,’ said Gupta, Delhi state BJP president.
Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit said the Delhi Bandh called by various political parities had ‘negligible impact’ in Delhi.
‘Delhiites are mature enough to understand the ill effects of Bandh. They are not at all interested in creating any such situation leading to disturbance in law and order and normalcy. They keep themselves aloof from the efforts of political parties to derive political mileage out of any non-issues,’ said Dikshit in a statement to media.