Most of the major markets were closed on Monday as traders protesting against the resumption of sealing drive against their establishments from Wednesday began a three-day bandh that was marred by clashes with police outside the Delhi Assembly.
Chemists in the capital decided later on Monday to withdraw from the three-day strike called by Delhi traders following an assurance from Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit that medicine shops having valid licences would not be sealed, irrespective of their location.
"We have decided to withdraw from the strike in public interest after Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit called us and assured that shops with valid licences would not be sealed," Kailash Gupta, secretary, All Delhi Chemists' Association said.
The chemists's representatives met Dikshit, who asked them to reconsider their decision to go on strike in view of the hardships being faced by residents of the capital.
The Delhi government was contemplating invoking ESMA if the chemists continued with their strike.
A large number of traders and Bharatiya Janata Party leaders assembled at the Vidhan Sabha on the first day of its ten-day Winter Session to protest against the drive.
They blocked traffic on the main road and those leading to the building besides pelting stones at police.
Shouting anti-government slogans, they broke the security cordon and surged towards the assembly building as police used water cannons to disperse them.
BJP leaders V K Malhotra, Jagdish Mukhi, Harshvardhan, V K Goel and general secretary of the Confederation of All India Traders Praveen Khandelwal were among scores of those who courted arrest outside the Vidhan Sabha.
The protestors also burned the effigies of Congress president Sonia Gandhi, Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit and Union Urban Development Minister Jaipal Reddy.
Meanwhile, all major markets including Connaught Place, Lajpat Nagar, Paharganj, Karol Bagh, Greater Kailash, Chandni Chowk, South Extension, Mayur Vihar, Khan Market and Kamala Market remained closed, traders claimed.
Only some restaurants and ATM counters were open in the markets.
Some roadside fruit and vegetable vendors also sold their wares despite the bandh.
"Though we are directly not affected, we still support the bandh as the sealing drive will hit the livelihood of lakhs of traders and employees," general secretary of Khan Market Traders' Association Harish Malik told PTI.
Even though the traders had claimed that they will ensure the bandh will not cause any inconvenience to the general public, protestors blocked roads at several places in Delhi, including the G T Karnal road, triggering huge traffic snarls.
All the major political parties are also supporting the bandh. Though the Delhi government has not declared a holiday, several private school managements said their institutes would remain closed on Monday.
Police has made elaborate security arrangements to patrol the capital to check violence during the three-day bandh as was witnessed on September 20 during a similar protest by traders.
With the Seelampur violence still fresh in their minds, the Delhi police deployed more men and paramilitary personnel to maintain law and order and appealed to people to desist from damaging public property.
The personnel have been adopting a cautious approach while dealing with the agitators. Besides lot of diversions by DTC to avoid trouble-prone areas, Delhi Metro Rail Corporation has suspended services between Delhi University and Kashmir Gate on the advise of the police in view of demonstrations by traders and BJP workers outside the Vidhan Sabha.
Earlier, the police resorted to cane charge on Delhi traders, who were protesting the sealing of shops in residential premises.
The cane charge came soon after the traders tried to break the barriers set up by the police as a measure of security before the Delhi Vidhan Sabha.
"We want to force the Shiela Dikshit government to swing into action and put our case strongly before the Supreme Court of India on the sealing of shops in Delhi. We are being harassed," a protesting trader told rediff.com.
The bandh has forced markets across the capital to down shutters. However, normal life remained unaffected in the city as educational institutions, public transport and essential services were exempted from the bandh.
Meanwhile, Deependra Pathak, additional commissioner of police in charge of public relations, has said that the Delhi police had taken adequate measures to maintain law and order in the capital should the three day bandh called by the traders associations turn violent.
"On Sunday, Police Commissioner K K Paul had issued an appeal to the citizens to maintain calm and asked them not to lend their ears to rumours," Pathak said.
"We have not only deployed our force in full strength but also got forces from other states," a top Delhi police official said.
Photograph: Manpreet Romana/AFP/Getty Images
With PTI inputs
More from rediff