 "Mixed response to Congress bandh in Gujarat")
The bandh call evoked a mixed response across the state, with a few incidents of violence between Congress and Bharatiya Janata Party workers. Congress leaders alleged police officials connived with the ruling party and manhandled their workers who were observing the bandh peacefully.
There were incidents from different parts of Congress workers trying to close schools, colleges and business establishments, beside stopping trains, city bus services and state road transport corporation buses.
State Congress president Arjun Modhwadia claimed the bandh received complete support of people across the state. "The (Modi) government has treated our bandh call as if there were a threat of a terrorist. Over 80,000 policemen were deployed across the state," he said.
Modhwadia claimed party workers were attacked those of the BJP at number of places. He claimed 25,000 of his people had been detained.
In Vadodara, Congress workers and their supporters tried to block the National Highway and the Express Highway. They also burnt tyres in protest. They also tried to block trains at the Vadodara railway station, foiled by the police. In Rajkot, a Congress worker got minor injuries in a clash withthose of the BJP. A scooter was also burnt by a mob during the incident. Congress workers also pelted stones at a Rajkot Municipal Corporation vehicle.
Vanzara, a 1987-batch IPS officer, said in his resignation letter that police officers involved in the alleged encounters "simply implemented the conscious policy" of the government and those at the head of the latter "should either be in Taloja central prison at Navi Mumbai or in Sabarmati Central Prison at Ahmedabad".