Tepid response to shutdown in Tamil Nadu
By IANSSunday, July 4, 2010
CHENNAI - Normal life remained unaffected in Tamil Nadu Monday as seven opposition parties began a dawn-to-dusk shutdown to protest the hike in fuel prices.
Buses and trains were operating and essential services like milk vans delivered with security.
However, some incidents of stone-pelting at buses were reported in few districts. Also, buses to Karnataka were stopped at Hosur and Erode.
The strike was called by the AIADMK, the MDMK, the Communist Party of India (CPI), the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M), the AIMMK, the All India Forward Bloc and the INL.
The PMK, which is mulling an electoral alliance with the DMK, stayed away from the strike, terming it as political and not for the welfare of the common person.
The central government ended government curbs on petroleum pricing and hiked the prices of diesel, kerosene and cooking gas. The price of diesel went up by Rs.2 a litre, kerosene by Rs.3 a litre, petrol by Rs.3.50 a litre and cooking gas by Rs.35 per cylinder.
