New Delhi, Mar 31: The trading community associated with 5,000 associations downed shutters today as part of the two-day protest against the proposed implementation of the Value Added Tax (VAT) regime from tomorrow, adversely affecting the commercial activity throughout the country. The 48-hour Bharat bandh call given by the Bharat Udyog Vypar Mandal and the Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT) has, however, kept supply of milk out of its purview. The bandh will continue tomorrow. Claiming that the call evoked total support, CAIT General Secretary and spokesman of traders action committee for Vat Praveen Khandelwal stated that the overwhelming support to the agitation has forced several state governments, including Delhi,to defer Vat implementation. The traders all over the country are fighting for their survival, Mr Khandelwal added. Besides Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Uttaranchal, Haryana, Rajasthan, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Bihar, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Assam and other states also remained closed.

Trade establishments across the country took out protest rallies and staged demonstrations in major cities.

He said that traders of Delhi were particularly against the Vat regime as it would change the distributive character of trade in the state.
In Delhi more than 300 trade bodies from wholesale and retail markets are participating in the bandh against the ''Draconian''Vat Law, '' which will encourage the Inspector Raj and corruption''.
Markets of Chandni Chowk, Khari Baoli, Naya Bazar, Naraina, Kashmiri Gate, Sadar Bazar, Connaught Place, Lajpat Nagar, Chawri Bazar, South Extension, Kamla Nagar, Karol Bagh, Jawahar Nagar and markets of West Delhi and trans Yamuna observed the ''complete'' trade bandh.
Delhi finance M S Saathi had, earlier, stated that vat could be imposed anytime in the middle of the year. ''but this will lead to two different assessments, one for the sales tax and other for Vat.''
Bureau Report