Highways blocked in Punjab, life affected in Haryana

Chandigarh, May 31 (IANS) Hundreds of ruling Shiromani Akali Dal-Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) activists Thursday blocked traffic on highways across Punjab following the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) and Left parties' calls for a nationwide shutdown to protest the recent petrol price hike.

Undeterred by the summer heat, protestors blocked Amritsar-Delhi National Highway No.1 (NH-1) near Amritsar. They also blocked the Punjab-Jammu national highway near Tanda town in Hoshiarpur district, 180 km from here.

Highways were also blocked in Bathinda and Jalandhar districts.

Markets across Punjab wore a deserted look at most places.

In neighbouring Haryana, the response to the strike call was a mixed one. Haryana is a Congress ruled state but opposition parties were trying to rally people to protest the petrol price hike.

In Chandigarh, BJP workers blocked the railway track near Vikas Nagar area.