New Delhi, Apr 27 (Agencies): Altogether 13 political parties, including the Samajwadi Party (SP), Left parties, Telugu Desam Party (TDP), Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD), Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and the Lok Janshakti Party (LJP), have called for a nationwide strike on April 27 to oppose the hike in prices of petroleum, fertilizers and other essential commodities.
Air and rail services were hit and normal life disrupted in West Bengal as the 12-hour nationwide strike called by Left and some other non-BJP opposition parties to protest Centre's "failure" to check price rise got underway.
Two train passengers were injured as a clash broke out between the passengers of Ganga Sagar Express and bandh supporters at Pandua station in Hoogly district this morning.
Abdul Razzak and Shanti Devi were injured when they along with other passengers tried to stop bandh supporters from stopping the train and putting up a banner.
The bandh shut businesses and disrupted transport services by road, rail and flight operations. Metro railways spokesperson said their services were normal.
Airport sources said ten out of 25 domestic and international flights took off this morning. While fights of Air-India, Jet Airways and Jetlite took off as scheduled in the morning, services of other private airlines were badly hit with many passengers stranded at the airport.
CPI-M's workers's union CITU affiliated-Airports Authority of India Employees Union office-bearers had said that they would impose strike in the airport.
Eastern Railway spokesperson told PTI that due obstructions put up by bandh supporters at several stations, train services were disrupted at Howrah and Sealdah division. Long-distance trains were stranded at various stations as bandh supporters sat on the railway tracks.
The streets in Kolkata wore a deserted look with state-run buses, private vehicles, taxis, auto-rickshaws remaining off the road since 6 am as the bandh began. Shops and educational institutions were closed, officials said.
Left Front Chairman Biman Bose said the bandh has been a spontaneous protest against price rise.
Leader of the Opposition and senior Trinamool Congress leader Partha Chatterjee said the Left Front government itself had failed to control price rise and take action against hoarding and black marketing in the state.
State Transport Minister Ranjit Kundu said buses and trams would run if drivers and conductors report for duty. "I cannot give any assurance. It depends on the employees and do not feel any extra arrangement needs to be made," he said.
In UP, several Samajwadi Party (SP) activists on Tuesday hit the streets, disrupted a rail route and stopped a train in Allahabad district while observing the nationwide general strike.
Shouting slogans against the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) and the state government, SP activists stopped the Ganga Gomti train near the Prayag railway station in Allahabad, about 200 km from here.
SP activists also tried to damage a rail track and destroy public property near the Chaudhary Mahadev Prasad (CMP) Degree College in Allahabad.
"Around 50 SP activists have been arrested in the morning. Additional security has been deployed taking into account the series of protests expected later in the day," said Superintendent of Police S.S. Bhaghel.
In Kerala, the dawn-to-dusk bandh called by the Left and their allies today to protest the Government's "failure" to check price rise disrupted rail and road traffic, throwing normal life out of gear.
Bandh supporters stopped trains at different stations. Both private and state-run bus services, taxis, auto-rickshaws and commercial vehicles kept off the roads, police said.
The Left parties and their allies have called for a nationwide hartal to protest the government's economic policies which they blamed for the spiralling price rise. Trade union wings of these parties have also extended support to the protest.
In the wake of the bandh, universities have postponed exams scheduled for the day.
Trinamool Congress, Congress and BJP have opposed the bandh.