Normal life largely unaffected in TN

The day-long bandh called by the Congress and Left parties separately failed to evoke any major response in Tamil Nadu, though the shut down was near total in the neighbouring Puducherry.

The bandh also saw the Congress accusing the DMK of not sending its senior leaders for the protest.

Congress leader Karate R Thyagarajan, while addressing the protest in Chepauk here, accused the DMK of not sending "enough cadre and senior leaders" for the agitation, drawing instant condemnation from the DMK cadre.

Though offices and schools functioned normally and bus services were not affected, a large number of auto rickshaw drivers affiliated to the Left trade unions All India Trade Union Congress (AITUC), Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU) and the DMK-backed Labour Progressive Federation (LPF) kept off the roads.

In most parts of Tamil Nadu, CPM, CPI and Left trade unions took the lead in holding the demonstration against fuel price hike. Since Puducherry is ruled by Congress, the bandh was near total with buses keeping off the roads.