The Congress-sponsored bandh in Chhattisgharh demanding resignation of Chief Minister Raman Singh and Health Minister Amar Agrawal over the death of 11 women following sterilisation surgery in Bilaspur evoked mixed response across the state.
The bandh was peaceful barring some sporadic incidents like burning of tyres and breaking windowpanes of a school bus in Raipur, where around 97 Congress workers, including party's Raipur urban unit president Vikas Upadhayay, were detained during a protest, police said.
Shops, business establishments and schools remained closed in several cities including Raipur, Bilaspur, Korba, Rajnandgaon, Raigarh, Mahasamund and others while movement of private buses and auto-rikshaws were largely unaffected.
"Around 97 Congress workers were arrested in Raipur during the protest and were later released unconditionally," Raipur Superintendent of Police O P Pal said.
Medical shops and hospitals were kept out of the purview of bandh.
"CM Singh and Health Minister Agrawal should step down taking moral responsibility for the tragedy. It's a shame for BJP that such incidents are repeatedly happening in the state," party state General Secretary Shailesh Nitin Trivedi, told PTI.
On November 8, as many as 83 women, all residents of nearby villages, had undergone surgeries at the sterilisation camp held at Nemichand Jain Cancer and Research Centre in Pendari village of Takhatpur region in Bilaspur. Eleven of them died in the past two days.
As many as 69 women are admitted in different hospitals here complaining of post-operative complications, of which condition of 14 women (admitted at Chhattisgarh Institute of Medical Science and Apollo Hospital) is stated critical.
"By extending support to the bandh call, people of the state have shown their intention that they want the chief minister and health minister to resign for this criminal offence that led to death of 11 women," Trivedi said.
