Agra, Oct 1 (IANS) The Taj city witnessed a near total shutdown Thursday as business chambers, trade associations and political parties observed a day long strike to demand a bench of the Allahabad High Court.
The response from the ruling Bahujan Samaj Party was however lukewarm, activists said.

Most schools remained closed. Groups of lawyers and political workers went around various markets in the city requesting shop keepers to support the bandh.

The demand for a bench of the high court has long been hanging fire. The all-party committee spearheading the movement felt provoked after Meerut lawyers started lobbying with ruling party leaders in New Delhi to locate a bench in Meerut.

Agra’s case for a bench was supported by the centrally appointed Jaswant Singh Commission.

A three-member commission headed by retired judge of the Supreme Court of India Jaswant Singh, was appointed on Sep 4, 1981, to decide the location of the bench suggested by them.

In its final report after years of deliberations and visits the Commission concluded in 1985 : “Taking into consideration the totality of the conditions and circumstances peculiar to Agra we find ourselves impelled to agree with the aforesaid views of the eminent judges and others that Agra would be a suitable place for the location of the bench.”