Bus burning, 'chakka jaam', stone-pelting mar Delhi bandh on Day 3

New Delhi, Nov 1 (UNI) Ahead of the resumption of the sealing drive from tomorrow, large-scale vandalism, traffic chaos and effigy burning marked the culmination of the three-day Delhi Bandh, called by the traders in protest against the measure.

Reports of bus burning, road blockades and demonstrations poured in from nearly all parts of the Capital especially East Delhi.

Scores of DTC buses were damaged in stone-pelting and their window pane smashed by unruly protestors, who had gathered on the roads since 0900 hrs on Vikas Marg -- one of the worst affected stretches.

The mob while raising anti-government slogans also burnt effigies of Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit at various intersections.

After putting roadblocks at several points, people forced traffic to halt which led the police to resort to lathicharge at some places.

At Noida Morh, a massive 'chakka jaam' resulted in traffic coming to a standstill for quite some time leading to chaos. Protestors also vented their fury at DTC buses -- deflating their tyres and breaking window panes at Mayur Vihar Phase-I.

Irate mob also burnt buses at two places -- Ganesh Nagar and Shahdara after stone-pelting failed to affect traffic flow.

Though the 'action' continued till about 1400 hrs at Preet Vihar, Lakshmi Nagar, Shakarpur, Noida Morh, Acharya Niketan, Mayur Vihar Phase-I and Seelampur, no reports of any casualty or anyone injured were received.

In West Delhi's Moti Bagh and Rajendra Nagar, traders blocked traffic for some time by coming on the road, holding protest demonstrations and raising slogans.

However, police presence prevented the situation from getting out of control.

In South Delhi, police had to resort to lathicharge in Malviya Nagar area after protestors pelted stones at passers-by and buses.

The situation soon became normal though protestors and traders continued to stage demonstrations and raise anti-government slogans.

Police also said it had no reports yet of anyone injured in the city-wide protests which began since morning.

''The ferocity and scale of protests, however, came down dramatically by late afternoon,'' said a police official.

Meanwhile, the business community today threatened to go on an indefinite strike if the sealing drive in the city resumed tomorrow, even as shops at several markets remained shut on Day three of the 72-hour 'bandh' call by Delhi traders.

The Confederation of All India Traders claimed that nursing homes and private clinics today remained closed in support of the 'bandh'.

''Their Out Patient Department (OPD) services were also not available.'' Besides, the Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee said a huge rally of traders, led by Ram Babu Sharma, was taken out from Malviya Nagar to Lajpat Nagar in support of providing relief from sealing.

The 'bandh' had been by and large peaceful in last 48 hours except on the first day when thousands of BJP workers and traders picketed the state Assembly and about 1,500 agitators were rounded up and later released. Some protestors and policemen were also injured in the 'clashes'.

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