Raipur, Feb 13 (IANS) Business was affected and normal life was hit in Chhattisgarh Saturday with schools closed and buses off the roads during the day-long shutdown called by the state’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to protest against rising food prices.
Chhattisgarh Chamber of Commerce and Industry and other traders and social organisations backed the strike, holding the Congress-led central government solely responsible for the rise in prices. Congress has, however, termed it a “political farce” by the BJP.

Roads wore a deserted look in state capital Raipur and the industrial towns of Bhilai, Raigarh and Korba. Schools and petrol pumps were closed, buses off the roads and shopkeepers and business establishments kept their shutters down.

Armed with sticks, BJP supporters forced traders and shopkeepers to join the shutdown at various places. In Raigarh, the BJP cadres and a section of traders clashed and police had to intervene to control the situation.

The BJP supporters and police clashed at a few places at the state capital here this morning. Cinema halls and all the two multiplexes in Raipur cancelled movies and most people preferred to remain indoors.

Reports reaching here at police headquarters say dozens of BJP cadres were taken into custody across the states mainly in urban areas while enforcing the shutdown.

There was a mixed response to the shutdown in Bilaspur, Jagdalpur and Ambikapur towns and in villages.

The Congress has described the shutdown a “total failure” while the BJP termed it “unprecedented”.