India government under fire over fuel prices, opposition unites for protests

Partial shutdown in Himachal

Banks and commercial establishments were largely opened while shops in some towns of Himachal Pradesh were closed on the protest call by the Congress over the rise in fuel prices.
However, there was no report of traffic being held up due to the strike. There was also no report of violence anywhere, police officials here said.
However, private bus operators across the state joined the day-long protest, demanding a hike in bus fares.
"The protest is being organized across the state in a silent way without forcing anyone to shut their shops and establishments," a Congress leader told IANS here.
The impact of the Congress shutdown was more in the state capital Shimla and in the Baddi-Barotiwala-Nalagarh industrial area in Solan district and Kala Amb in Sirmaur.
There was a partial shutdown in Solan, Dharamsala, Kangra, Palampur, Mandi, Rampur, Kullu and Una and Hamirpur towns.
Rail, road traffic hit in Bihar
 Rail and road traffic was hit across Bihar on Monday due to a nationwide shutdown called by the Congress against the hike in fuel prices.
The shutdown is being supported by the opposition Rashtryia Janata Dal (RJD), Left Parties and Hindustani Awam Morcha (HAM).
Hundreds of Congress and other opposition parties leaders and workers took to the streets since early Monday in different parts of Bihar.
Over a dozen long route trains were halted at Patna, Gaya, Bhojpur, Jehanabad, Bhagalpur and Muzaffarpur railway stations.
At several places, the activists were seen burning tyres on roads to protest.
They also raised slogans against the Central government and Prime Minister Narendar Modi and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar.

Additional security have been deployed all across the state to maintain law and order.
However, no untoward incident was reported anywhere.

• India