By IANS,
Guwahati : Normal life came to a standstill in Assam Thursday following a dawn-to-dusk shutdown enforced by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) to protest the Jammu and Kahsmir government’s decision to cancel the allotment of forest land to the Amarnath shrine board.
Shops, businesses and educational institutions remained closed, while movement of public and private transport was thin.
“There were stray incidents of violence with BJP and VHP supporters pelting stones on vehicles and people riding two wheelers,” a police spokesman said.
About 50 protesters were arrested from various parts of the state for trying to enforce the shutdown. Many people in the state, however, were not sure about the reason for the shutdown.
“We don’t know the reason for the shutdown. Could be for price rise,” said Anil Hazarika, a college student.
The shutdown, however, failed to impact states like Nagaland, Manipur, Meghalaya and Mizoram.