Bandh gets mixed response in City

Transport services run smooth, markets shut down to back protest

 The national capital on Thursday witnessed a mixed response on the bandh call given by the opposition parties to protest against introduction of FDI in retail.

While prominent markets, hundreds of private offices and business establishments remained shut in solidarity with the cause, Metro and bus services in the City remain largely unaffected.

According to traffic police, the traffic flowed smoothly throughout the day and no incidents of jam owing to the protest were reported. While chief minister Sheila Dikshit expressed her gratitude towards Delhiites for maintaining normalcy, Delhi BJP president Vijender Gupta thanked people for observing “unprecedented and historical Delhi Mahabandh”.

 The BJP claimed that more than 50,000 workers came out in the streets to make bandh a success.

The figures are believed to be bit exaggerated, but the party managed to hold protest at close to 100 intersections in the city where people ranging from 30 to 200 participated and burnt effigies of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi.  

Almost all the market associations, including of Connaught Place, Khan Market, Sarojini Nagar Market, Bengali Market, Gole Market, Janpath, Palika Bazar, and Green Park supported the bandh, but the saffron party workers were seen forcefully shutting shops in the lanes of Laxmi Nagar and Patparganj in east Delhi.

“Some BJP workers also tried to stop traffic at Akshardham and NH-24 but they were promptly dealt with without causing any disruptions,” said a police official in the area.

However, the biggest respite for the city residents was the fact that transport services across the city were not adversely hit. Though the government-run DTC buses and Metro services were expected to run smoothly, the intermediate means of transport such as autorickshaws and taxis remained unaffected too.  

Less number of autos and taxis were seen on the roads in the morning peak hours but they were available at all the vital places such as railway stations, hospitals and airport in adequate number.

“Though we had extended support to the bandh, we did not force any driver to stay off the roads. Unlike earlier, we did not even distribute pamphlets seeking support for the bandh. But still, more than 50 per cent drivers stayed off roads in the first half,” said Rajendra Soni, president, Bhartiya Private Transport Mazdoor Mahasangh.

unlike the previous bandh, no incident of deflating tyres of city buses and disruption in Metro service was reported during the day.

Meanwhile, the Northern Railway services took a hit as around half a dozen trains originating and departing from Delhi were delayed when they were stopped on some stations at different locations.

Thousands of BJP leaders and workers also courted arrest, including prominent names — Vijender Gupta, traders’ leader Shyam Bihari Mishra, leader of opposition  Vijay Kumar Malhotra, Vani Tripathi, Meenakshi Lekhi.