Bandh slows down Capital

It was a harrowing morning for Delhiites today as the shutdown against the fuel price hike hit vehicular movement in many parts of the national capital. Fewer autos and packed metro trains added to the woes of commuters.

Normal life was partially hit as the nationwide bandh called by the opposition parties against fuel price hike evoked mixed response in the Capital.

HT Image

While traffic was disrupted at several locations and auto-rickshaws and taxis stayed away in the morning, normalcy returned and traffic was smooth as the day progressed.

Protesters belonging to the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) and the Left parties came out in large numbers and blocked traffic at several locations. Traffic was disrupted in east Delhi, Nehru Place, Mathura Road, Rohini, Model Town and some parts of west Delhi. There were also reports of traffic disruption from the neighbouring towns of Noida, Ghaziabad, Faridabad and Gurgaon.

"The impact was partial and was felt only in the morning. We kept informing people through our mobile alerts and social networking sites," a senior Delhi traffic police officer said.

But commuters at the railway station and inter-state bus terminals had a tough time, as very few auto-rickshaws and taxis were visible in the morning.

"There are no autos. After struggling for an hour, I managed to find one which demanded an exorbitant fare," said Deepak Pandey, who reached New Delhi station Delhi from Lucknow.

Though big markets remained closed the entire day, local shopping complexes and neighbourhood traders returned to work later in the day.
Police said there were no reports of violence anywhere in Delhi but they detained 813 persons, including BJP MP Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi and CPI (M) leader
AB Bardhan during the bandh.

Terming the Delhi bandh a "success", state BJP president Vijendra Gupta said the participation of the common man in the strike proves that they are unhappy with the Congress-led state government.

He added that many people may have had to face inconvenience due to the strike that crippled the day-to-day activity of the city but it was a small price to pay. The Congress described the bandh a total failure.

Supplies hit

Residents of several colonies, however, complained of the supply of essential commodities such as milk, fruits and vegetables getting affected due to the bandh. "There was no milk at the mother dairy milk booth today. Fresh vegetables were also missing," said Kuljit Misra, a resident of Vasant Kunj.
"The local vegetable sellers did not turn up the entire day," said Krishna Gulati, a Sarita Vihar resident.

All passenger trains delayed

Thursday's bandh resulted in all passenger trains getting delayed by more than a few hours. The BJP had blocked major rail routes connecting the Capital with rest of the country. "The protesters stopped trains in Nangloi and Mundka which bought rail traffic on Delhi-Rohtak route to a standstill. Many trains were also diverted due to the Doon Express derailment," said a railway spokesperson. Passengers had to spend hours at stations.