As Jayalalithaa fights for her life, bandh-like situation prevails in Chennai

CHENNAI: A near total shutdown like situation prevailed in the city with shops and other establishments downing shutters and office goers returning home early as Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa's health condition continued to remain critical today.

The entire area in and around Apollo Hospitals, where she is being treated since September 22, resembled a fortress with traffic completely halted on the road leading to the hospital and a heavy police posse deployed.

At the hospital hundreds of AIADMK party workers continued to stay put and raised slogans saying their beloved 'Amma' should recover.

Some were seen protesting against some TV channels, which aired wrong news of Jayalalilthaa's health condition earlier in the evening.

Elsewhere in the city, a bandh like situation prevailed with relatively less traffic on the roads.

Educational institutions sent students home early in the afternoon, while several offices asked their staff to leave early.

By dusk, roads started wearing a deserted look, even as groups of anxious people huddled in discussions over the condition of 68-year-old AIADMK supremo.

Shops, including petty outlets, eateries and departmental stores, closed shutters, even as people stocked essentials.

Many bus and suburban rail stations wore a near deserted look by 7.00 PM itself while the number of private vehicles was also less on many roads.

The usual weekday peak hour rush was absent with comparatively less number of commuters seen travelling on the Tambaram-Beach suburban train route.

The busy Rangananthan Street in the commercial district of T Nagar also emptied soon.