Gujarat: Congress' call for symbolic 'bandh' against inflation evokes mixed response; party leaders detained

The Congress' symbolic 'bandh' to protest against inflation and unemployment in poll-bound Gujarat on Saturday received a mixed response, and police detained some senior leaders of the party in different cities of the state. The party leaders and workers were detained when they took out rallies and urged shopkeepers to down the shutters in support of the bandh between 8 am and 12 pm in different cities and towns of Gujarat, police said.

The Congress' state unit president Jagdish Thakor was detained along with party workers in Ahmedabad, while MLAs Veerji Thummar, Paresh Dhanani, Vikram Madam, among others, were detained in different towns and cities as they took out rallies to urge traders to down shutters.

In Surat, party workers offered roses to shopkeepers and urged them to keep their shutters down.


The symbolic bandh call till 12 pm was given to protest against inflation and unemployment.

"We requested shopkeepers to support us in the symbolic bandh through Gandhian means by offering them roses. We told them it is for the benefit of the people so that this arrogant government realises that people have responded to the call," Surat Congress leader Aslam Cyclewala said.

The party's student wing National Student Union of India (NSUI) urged and persuaded colleges in Ahmedabad, Jamnagar, Rajkot and other cities to suspend classes to support its bandh call.

Several NSUI workers were detained in Rajkot as they urged colleges to suspend classes. Party workers also blocked a highway by burning tyres.

The bandh received a mix response at Kheralu in Mehsana and Palanpur in Banaskantha.

The markets at Ranpur in Botad wore a deserted look, while at Patan, party workers were seen arguing with shopkeepers who refused to shut their establishments.

Assembly elections in the Bharatiya Janata Party-ruled Gujarat are due by the end of this year.