By IANS,
Guwahati : A shutdown sponsored by the opposition parties Thursday against hiked diesel prices and FDI in multi-brand retail trade drew a near-total response in Assam and affected normal life.
Besides the Bharatiya Janata Party-led National Democratic Alliance, other non-Congress parties – the Asom Gan Parishad (AGP) and the Left – also took out protest rallies.
All markets, shops, educational institutions, banks and private offices remained closed during the protest hours. Almost all long-distance private buses and other vehicles did not hit the roads.
Early in the day some private vehicles were seen in Guwahati but as the day progressed BJP leaders, including party national vice president and former MP Bijoya Chakraborty, took to the streets and stopped their movement.
Trains services and flights, however, operated as usual.
A spokesman of the Northeast Frontier Railway said that there was no impact on movement of trains due to the shutdown and all trains followed their schedule.
Sources at the Lokapriya Gopinath Bordoloi International Airport also confirmed that the flights were not affected. However, air passengers suffered due to lack of road transport between the airport and the city.
The state government offices remained open in almost all districts – particularly after an official notification was issued Wednesday warning possible absentees.
The notification warned that disciplinary action would be initiated against state government employees for failure to report on work.