Jammu, May 31: The Bharat Bandh called by National Democratic Alliance (NDA) and other parties to protest the hike in petrol prices threw normal life out of gear in Jammu and its adjoining areas today with no public transport plying on roads and offices registering thin attendance.
 Shops and business establishments around the city and its suburbs also remained closed amid protests by BJP and other political parties, including Communist Party of India (Marxist). Bandh supporters were also seen enforcing the strike at many places in the city of temples.
 While government schools and colleges registered low attendance, many private institutions had in advance declared holiday in wake of the bandh call.
 To prevent any untoward incident, the administration had made heavy deployments of police and paramilitary personnel in Jammu and other towns of the region. However, the Bandh passes off peacefully.
 The worst hit by the protest were Vaishno Devi pilgrims and tourists who arrive here in thousands daily. The Jammu railway station presented a scene of chaos as tourists were left clueless about the shutdown and faced a harrowing time trying to hire cabs to Srinagar or other tourist places.
 Meanwhile, the Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP), led by Rajya Sabha MP, J P Nadda, and Avinash Rai Khanna took out a protest march in the city against the hike in fuel prices raising slogans against the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government. Nadda alleged that the Congress-led UPA was working in an anti-democratic fashion and had no respect for the institutions of this country.
 “It is very sad that the Parliament is being insulted. The budget session of 2012 was sine-die on May 22 and in the evening of May 23, this anti-democratic government led by Congress raised the prices of petrol, despite knowing that people are already reeling under the serious inflation,” Nadda pointed.
 Earlier, BJP state president Shamsher Singh Manhas led a protest rally in the city riding on a horse-cart.
 Manhas said if the fuel prices continued to increase like this, the day is not far when people will have to depend upon cycles and other traditional modes for conveyance.
 Other political and social organizations including CPI (M), Shiv Sena, and Socialist Democratic Party (SDP) also staged demonstrations in various parts of city.
 As per reports pouring in, other towns of Jammu region including Samba, Kathua, RS Pura, Akhnoor, Sunderbani, Udhampur, Rajouri, Hiranagar, Billawar, Basholi, and Reasi remained affected at the call of Bharat Bandh by NDA and left parties. However, the traffic movement on the highway remained unaffected.
 It is pertinent to mention here that Jammu Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Transport Unions, Bar Association Jammu, Trade and Industrial Associations, Shopkeepers, Educational Institutions, Social, religious and political organizations had supported the for their support to the Bharat Bandh against the steep hike petrol prices.

Lastupdate on : Thu, 31 May 2012 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Thu, 31 May 2012 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Fri, 1 Jun 2012 00:00:00 IST