NEW DELHI, India - An opposition-sponsored shutdown to protest the recent hike in petrol prices brought life across India to a grinding halt on Thursday.In a rare show of unity, opposition parties put aside their ideological differences and joined forces to make the shutdown a success. Some allies of the ruling United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government also joined regional parties in taking to the streets.
The shutdown was also supported by anti-corruption crusader Anna Hazare and his supporters.
- Road traffic was the worst affected as protesters picketed busy streets in several cities and towns during peak morning hour traffic. Several commuters missed their flights and trains as a result.
- Train services in various states were affected as protesters sat on the tracks. Protests in some states turned violent with public transport buses being damaged, and in some cases torched, in states such as Karnataka, Maharashtra and West Bengal.
- The shutdown was a major success in states ruled by the Opposition owing to the tactical support lent to the action by provincial governments. Some chief ministers and members of their cabinets cycled to work in protest, while some opted to walk.
- Several opposition leaders were detained, with some courting arrest.
Marxist leaders Prakash Karat and Sitaram Yechury and D. Raja of the Communist Party of India (CPI) were detained in New Delhi.Petrol prices have been raised by Rs7.50 per litre — hitting their highest level in a decade.
The government defended the steep hike in petrol prices, saying the rupee’s slide and an increase in crude oil prices on the international market were bleeding the three government-owned petroleum companies.
- The government has so far resisted demands to even partially roll back prices, though there is talk of petroleum companies announcing a marginal reduction to the price within a day or two.
- Chaotic scenes also prevailed in India’s capital, New Delhi, as most of the 55,000 three-wheeled auto-rickshaws and 15,000 taxis joined the strike to protest a decision to hike Value-Added Tax (VAT) on Compressed Natural Gas (CNG).
- There was a near stampede at many Delhi Metro stations with security guards having a tough time handling the surge of passengers who had opted to use the Metro to reach their destinations.
- Thursday’s shutdown also coincided with an announcement that economic growth had hit its lowest point in the last nine years during the first quarter of this year.
In Andhra Pradesh, the shutdown was partial in the capital of Hyderabad but near total in the districts with shops, businesses and educational institutions.The Telugu Desam Party (TDP), Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) and YSR Congress Party also supported the BJP and the Left. In Congress-ruled Assam too, the response was near total.
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