Backed by BJP, bandh brings state to a halt

The bandh in Ahmedabad was near-total on Thursday, with prominent BJP leaders ensuring that even the popular BRT services were withdrawn. Rajya Sabha member and television star Smriti Irani was seen leading crowds in Maninagar, downing shutters of even medical stores and petrol pumps, which are generally spared.

Chief Minister Narendra Modi represents the Maninagar assembly constituency.

Most of the shops remained closed abiding by an overnight 'advisory' that was sent out to traders about observing the bandh.

Minor skirmishes were reported from Paldi and Naroda areas where police detained Sabarmati BJP MLA Geeta Patel and 24 others when they forcibly stopped BRTS buses near the Pallav crossroads. The MLA and her supporters were let off after a warning.

In Naroda, supporters of Samajwadi Party halted BRTS buses and forced shops to close down, leading to a ruckus. The SP members got into an argument with policemen on bandobast duty when they were asked to move from the area.

A complaint of stone-pelting on BRTS buses by unidentified persons was registered with the Ghatlodia police station.

While the city Congress termed the bandh as "partial or a forced one", shops in minority dominated Teen Darwaja and Jamalpur areas closed down for the first time during a BJP-led agitation.

Meanwhile, at the state secretariat in Gandhinagar, Chief Minister Narendra Modi, cabinet ministers and top brass in the state government functioned as usual. Most of the government offices at the secretariat were at full-strength. Even those employees coming from Ahmedabad and nearby areas attended office.

In Ahmedabad, the elected wing of the BJP and its senior central leaders came out on the streets to "convince" people of observing a bandh. The public transport was completely paralysed after AMC withdrew AMTS and BRTS buses early in the morning saying it was "precautionary steps to avoid damage to public property".

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