Chandigarh, Jul 4 : A 12-hour general strike called by Punjab's ruling Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD)-BJP alliance against price rise today evoked a mixed response across the state.
While markets were closed at many places, shops and other business establishments in a few other areas functioned normally during the bandh period.
However, a SAD spokesman claimed the half-day bandh was a “complete success.”
At Faridkot, the bandh evoked poor response as offices, courts, business centres, banks and other commercial offices and educational institutions were open, reports said.
Congress MLA Avtar Singh Brar described the step of the state government as a “cruel joke” saying that the government itself had levied heavy VAT on diesel and petrol items and failed to give any proper relaxation in containing VAT like the Congress governments in various states.
A report from Kapurthala said the bandh fizzled out in the city as most of the commercial establishments remained open. Meanwhile, SAD President and Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal thanked the people for the bandh a “success” and asked the Centre to “read the writing on the wall”.
Party secretary and spokesman Daljit Singh Cheema claimed shops, bazaars, markets and other commercial establishments remained closed in all big and small towns and the situation was completely peaceful.
He said shops were shut in interior streets of Amritsar, Patiala, Bathinda, Ludhiana and Jalandhar.
He claimed in remote areas including like Abohar,Malout, Mansa, Pathankot, Gurdaspur, Ropar, Sri Anandpur Sahib, Atari, Jandiala, Tarntaran, Khadur Sahib, ahnuwan, Kadian, Mukerian and Dasua Hoshiarpur and other placescommercial establishments remained closed. PTI
