West Bengal was in the grip of a bandh for the second consecutive day after the opposition Trinamool Congress and its ally the Socialist Unity Centre of India (SUCI) enforced the shut down to protest the fuel price hike.
For the second day in a row the bandh disrupted rail and road communication. Most shops and markets were closed and there were very few vehicles on the road.
Trains services in Howrah and Sealdah section were badly hit. Eastern Railway (ER) and South Eastern Railway (SER) authorities have cancelled several trains while many long distance trains were stranded at different stations due to the blockades on the tracks put up by the bandh supporters.
Airport sources around 15 flights took off from the N S C Bose International Airport till 7 am. Trinamool Congress along with SUCI called the 12-hour bandh against Centre's fuel price hike decision.
BJP has also called a 12-hour bandh today on the same issue. On Thursday, the CPI(M)-led ruling Left Front had called a bandh to protest against the fuel price hike. Meanwhile in Mumbai Shiv Sena workers protested against fuel price hike. The Shiv Sena workers on Friday staged a 'rail roko' at the suburban railway station to protest against the fuel price hike, disrupting local train services.
"The activists occupied the tracks since 0940 hrs to protest against the price hike," a Central Railway spokesperson said.
Local trains were already running late this morning due to intermittent overnight rains and the agitation has further inconvenienced office-goers.
Bandh cripples life in Left-ruled states
Inflation: The silent killer!
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