CHENNAI: Normal life was slightly disrupted in several parts of the city as a large number of shops downed shutters on Friday in response to a call for State-wide bandh by opposition parties to condemn the police firing at anti-Sterlite protesters, which claimed 13 lives.The impact of the 12 hour-bandh was visible in commercial areas including T Nagar, Old Washermenpet, Broadway, Tondiarpet, Purasawalkam, Vepery and Kodambakkam. More than 80 per cent of the shops remain closed in these areas. Ranganathan street and North Usman Road in T Nagar wore a deserted look since morning.
The Koyambedu vegetable market functioned with less than 10 shops remaining open. Similarly, other smaller markets in Ayanavaram, Nammalwarpet, Kilpauk, Broadway and Chintadripet also remained shut mostly. The closure of grocery shops and hotels badly affected people.“There was only one vegetarian hotel which remained open at Vepery and it ran out of food by 3 pm. Due to this, I travelled upto Kilpauk to have lunch,” said Karthick of Nammalwarpet.
Though public services such as buses and trains operated normally, many buses carried only a few passengers. City roads also witnessed lesser traffic compared to other days. There were lesser number of vehicles on EVR Periyar Salai (Poonamallee High Road), Anna Salai, Old Mahabalipuram Road and East Coast Road.
At a few places including Tondiarpet and Korukkupet, members of DMK and CPM asked shops to down their shutters. Stones were also reportedly hurled at a few shops. Shops on city’s outskirts such as Keelkattalai, Sholinganallur, Semmanchery and Thorapakkam remain closed throughout the day.
leaders court arrest
Chennai: Leaders of opposition parties, including DMK working president MK Stalin, MDMK general secretary Vaiko, VCK leader Thol Thirumavalavan and DMK MP Kanimozhi courted arrest on Friday after staging protests condemning the police firing on anti-Sterlite protesters in Thoothukudi. Along with a large number of partymen, Stalin staged a road blockade at Madurantakam in Kancheepuram district, after presiding over a wedding. Amid sloganeering and resistance, police whisked him away before clearing DMK cadre who encircled the van carrying him.
Rajya Sabha member RS Bharathi and MLAs, including CVMP Ezhilarasan and RT Arasu, were also held by police. Kanimozhi led a rally at Egmore heading to the railway station in order to stage a rail blockade. However, cops thwarted the bid before detaining the protesters. VCK leader Thol Thirumavalavan, Manithaneya Makkal Katchi (MMK) president MH Jawahirullah, DMK MLAs PK Sekar Babu and Thayagam Kavi too courted arrest along with Kanimozhi. Former Chennai Mayor and MLA Ma Subramanian and Congress district secretary ‘Karate’ R Thiyagarajan led the road blockade at Saidapet, disrupting traffic. At T Nagar, DMK MLA J Anbazhagan led the opposition parties in staging a road roko.