Bandh hits bus, rail services in parts of TN, violence in Pondy

Chennai/Puducherry, Jun 7 (UNI) The bandh call given by the Left Parties today to protest the increase in fuel prices disrupted bus and rail services in parts of Tamil Nadu even as violence rocked the Union Territory of Puducherry with shops and business establishments remaining closed.

In Tamil Nadu, the bandh evoked partial response in Left strongholds of Tiruvarur, Coimbatore, Tirupur, Madurai, Pudukottai and North Chennai while life was normal in most parts of the State.

Police arrested more than 20,000 volunteers, when they resorted to rail and road roko agitations.

A few incidents of stone pelting on government buses were reported from Tiruvarur and Tirupur.

More than one lakh police personnel were pressed into service to prevent any untoward incident. Those arrested included MLAs of the CPI(M) and CPI. State unit leaders N Varadarjan and D Pandian did not participate in the stir.

A report from Madurai said vehicular traffic was paralysed in the Southern districts of Tamil Nadu as hundreds of 'red-shirt volunteers,' including women, stopped buses and trains.

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