Ahmedabad, Aug 08: Stray arson and violence today marred the Congress-sponsored Gujarat bandh called to protest hike in power tariff, college and court fees as the shutdown drew partial response across the state.
Senior Congress leaders Amarsingh Choudhary and Shanker Singh Vaghel were among the nearly 500 party activists arrested throughout the state for defying prohibitory orders, setting ablaze and stoning buses during the bandh, police said.
It said Choudhary, leader of the opposition in Gujarat Assembly, and PCC chief Shanker Singh Vaghela were arrested for defying prohibitory orders then they tried to take out a rally from the Congress office in Ellisbridge area here.

Mob burnt one bus and smashed windows of 25 others during the bandh which was supported by various farmers and students organisations.
A report from Surat said movement of state transport buses on the national highway linking Mumbai was suspended for a few hours as mobs resorted to "raasta roko" near Valsaad.



A bus was torched near south Gujarat university while vehicular traffic was affected in Bharuch, Amreli and Rajkot regions, police said adding protestors also put up road blockades to stall movement of vehicular traffic in rural areas.



The Gujarat PCC termed as "unconstitutional" the arrest of Chaudhary and Vaghela.


Bureau Report