MUMBAI: The Maharashtra bandh called by the alliance partners of Maha Vikas Aghadi in protest against the Lakhimpur Kheri incident received mixed response on Monday. In the first half of the day, businessmen and shopkeepers kept offices and shops shut. In the second half, some of the shops were opened.
From parts of the state, there were reports of burning of car tyres and threatening shopkeepers. It was alleged that alliance partners Congress, NCP and Shiv Sena leaders forced shopkeepers to shut down shops and other establishments in support of the bandh.
Leader of Opposition and BJP MLA Devendra Fadnavis called the Maha Vikas Aghadi bandh state-sponsored terrorism. He said never did any state government call a bandh anywhere and the Maha Vikas Aghadi violated its own resolution against such bandhs. BJP leaders opposed the bandh, saying that the state government should worry about the farmers in Maharashtra than Uttar Pradesh.
Jayant Patil, state president, NCP, said that by opposing the bandh, BJP was indirectly supporting the BJP minister and his son. “They should have supported the bandh in the larger interest of farmers,” he said.