Thaindian News

Shimla, Sep 20 (IANS) The shutdown called by the opposition against the central government’s economic measures Thursday got a partial response in the BJP-ruled Himachal Pradesh with buses and trains running normally.

However, traders in some parts of the state downed shutters in the morning. As the day progressed, they reopened their shops, restaurants and eating joints.

Government offices and educational institutions were also functioning normally and there was no report of violence anywhere in the state.

The impact of the shutdown was more in major towns like Shimla, Rampur, Theog, Solan, Mandi, Una, Bilaspur, Hamirpur, Dharamsala, Palampur and Kangra.

“There was a complete shutdown in Shimla. Essential services like supply of milk, hospitals and chemist shops were kept out of the shutdown,” Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) state secretariat member Tikender Panwar told IANS here.

The opposition parties were opposing the diesel price hike, cap on subsidised cooking gas cylinders and allowing foreign direct investment (FDI) in multi-brand retail.

“The government is just trying to divert attention from the corruption issue with its decision on FDI in retail,” said Bharatiya Janata Party general secretary J.P. Nadda at a rally here.

Slogan-shouting CPI-M activists staged protests in the state capital.

Cadres of the BJP along with opposition parties enforced the shutdown in most districts, forcing shops in most towns to down shutters.

There was no report of violence across the state, a police official said.