Begin typing your search above and press return to search.

Bharat bandh passes off peacefully

By Staff Correspondent

SILCHAR, Sept 10 - The 12-hour Bharat bandh called by the Congress today and supported by five Left parties, including CPM, CPI, RSP, SUCI(C) and CPM(L) mainly against the escalation of petrol and diesel prices passed off peacefully in Cachar district.

Streets in Silchar wore a deserted look during the bandh hours with no public transport on the roads. Police kept strict vigil on movement across the district and dispersed cadres of the Congress and BJP at Jirighat area under Lakhipur sub-division. The former, it may be mentioned, were involved in a tussle during the bandh.

Congress leaders, including former State Minister Ajit Singh, district Congress president Pradip Dey, Sanjiv Roy, Tuhina Sharma, Dipon Dewanji and others demonstrated their discontent against the BJP-led Central Government outside the office of the Deputy Commissioner. District leaders of the Left parties voiced their resentment against the Government�s anti-people policies.

Over 200 cadres, including many female supporters of the bandh were picked up from different places and put inside the premises of a college which was the make-shift jail for the day. All the arrested persons were later released.

�Narendra Modi has utterly failed in keeping his promise to control price hike of petrol and diesel. He has also failed to keep his promise of putting an end to the harassment made to the people of Assam in the name of NRC. We criticise and condemn the stance taken by the BJP in fulfilling the promises made to the people of the country,� said Ajit Singh.

IN SILAPATHAR: The Bharat bandh called by the Indian National Congress today passed off peacefully, our Correspondent adds.

Offices and financial institutions remained closed during the 12-hour bandh. Vehicles, buses, three-wheelers and four-wheelers remained off the roads during the bandh. It was the Congress workers who primarily observed the bandh. No untoward incident occurred at Silapathar and its peripheral areas.

IN SIVASAGAR: The Bharat bandh called by the Congress passed off peacefully, while roads and market places wore a deserted look and financial institutions and banks remained closed, an ANN Service report stated.

Sivasagar Police arrested about 100 Congress workers along with their leader Sushanta Borgohain, Sivasagar district Congress president and Roselina Tirkey, MLA of Sarupathar, and later released them.

IN BADARPUR: Normal life was hit across Karimganj district along with Rail way Town Badarpur following the 12-hour Bharat bandh called by the Congress and anti-BJP parties in protest against the hike in fuel prices and others, an ANN Service report stated.

All educational institutions, banks, post offices, Government offices, markets and business establishments remained closed. However, some Government offices were open, though with thin attendance.

IN North Lakhimpur: The 12-hour Bharat bandh called by the Congress party and supported by 21 Opposition parties against rising fuel prices and nose diving rupee against the US dollar evoked strong response in Lakhimpur district today, our Correspondent adds.

The bandh completely paralysed normal life across the district and affected transport, trade and education services. All the shops and commercial institutions remained closed during the bandh in the district while public transport was completely off the road. The bandh also affected bank and other financial services in the district.

Earlier, Congress workers staged protests peacefully at various places of the district in support of the bandh. Police arrested protesting Congress leaders like Dr Joy Prakash Das, president of Lakhimpur District Congress Committee along with other members.

In Dhakuwakhona, Lalitya Das, president of the Block Congress and Gangadhar Taid, president of Youth Congress, were arrested. Police also arrested Congress leaders in Narayanpur. A total of 25 Congress members were arrested in Lakhimpur district during the bandh.

IN Tinsukia: The 12-hour Bharat bandh call given by the All India Congress Committee stalled normal life in Tinsukia district today, our Correspondent adds.

All the shops and business establishments, educational and financial institutes remained closed during the bandh period. Except for a few private light vehicles, no other vehicle plied on the roads of the district.

However, production activities of oil, tea and coal sectors in the district were not affected by the bandh call. Attendance in the offices was very thin. Congress activists from different parts of the town staged demonstrations and shouted slogans.

Police picked up a number of picketers from various places, namely Tinsukia, Doomdooma, Margherita, Digboi etc.

IN RAHA: The 12-hour Bharat bandh called by the Congress today in protest against the BJP-led NDA Government�s inability to curb the rise in fuel prices and the falling value of the rupee, among other issues, heavily affected normal life here, an ANN Service report stated.

Passenger vehicles plying on NH-37 kept off the roads. School and college-going students as well as office-goers using public transport faced difficulty due to non-availability of transport facilities. Government offices and educational institutions witnessed thin attendance. Shops and business establishments at Raha , Chaparmukh, Barapujia and other adjacent places remained closed during the bandh hours.

IN KAZIRANGA: Normal life was paralysed today in Kaziranga area following the 12-hour Bharat bandh, our Correspondent adds.

Shops and educational institutions remained closed and attendance in offices was thin. The commuters faced great difficulty in travelling to other places.

The Circle Officer of Bokakhat Revenue Circle under Bokakhat sub-division Khanin Nath claimed that no untoward incident took place during the bandh period.

IN Biswanath Chariali: The 12-hour Bharat bandh called by the Indian National Congress was total in Biswanath and Gohpur sub-divisions of Biswanath district today.

Business establishments, banks, post offices, offices, shops etc were closed throughout the day. Vehicles were off NH-15. Bandh supporters shouted slogans against price rise and burnt tyres at several places in the district. Police subsequently picked up some supporters at Baghmari.

IN UDALGURI: Along with the rest of the country, the Bharat bandh called today by the AICC was total and peaceful in Udalguri district, our Correspondent adds.

Police picked up some picketers with Bisti Kumar Basumatary and Nirmal Pathak, president and secretary of Udalguri District Congress Committee and brought them to Udalguri Police Station.

On the other hand, a group of Congress activists blocked the down Ramaprasad Rangiya Passenger train at Jazbat for an hour today. During the 12-hour bandh, most of the business establishments were seen closed and vehicular traffic were off the road. However, Government offices and educational institutions were seen functioning normally during the bandh hours.

Reports of bandh were also received from Mazbat, Rowta, Orang, Bangla,Hari dunga, Khoi Rabari and Bhergaon.

IN JORHAT: Normal life was completely paralysed today in the Upper Assam districts of Golaghat, Jorhat , Sivasagar and Chariadeo following the 12-hour Bharat bandh call given by the Indian National Congress party to protest against severe rise of fuel prices, demand to bring petrol and diesel under GST, rapid depreciation of rupee and the demand for a joint parliamentary committee probe into the alleged irregularities in the Rafale deal, our Staff Correspondent adds.

Official sources said that business establishments, educational institutions, banks and commercial houses remained closed while vehicular traffic kept off the roads, except for a few private vehicles. Government offices witnessed almost nil attendance.

Activists believed to be Congress party members and supporters came out to the streets to enforce the bandh and at several places clashed with BJP members, who too came out to foil their rivals� attempts to close down shops and business centres.

In Jorhat, two Congress workers, including a lady has lodged complaint with the police against a senior district unit BJP leader of assaulting them and misbehaving with the lady.

A shopkeeper who is a BJP member of Jorhat, on the other hand, lodged a complaint with the police against two Congress office-bearers of Jorhat district unit, alleging the duo tried to intimidate him to close his shop.

A police official of Jorhat Police Station said that investigation were on against the complaints and cases will be registered in both the complaints and action will be taken accordingly.

In Majuli river island too, the bandh call had its impact and normal life was disrupted.

Next Story