Normal life was partially affected in Cuttack on Saturday during the BJP-called hartal.
While BJP workers picketed in front of some offices and blocked the traffic staging road blocks, the police took as many as 50 protestors, including former Minister Samir Dey, into preventive custody. Many business houses downed their shutters on their own while several others also closed their establishments after BJP workers requested them to do so.
The public transport system in the city was, however, the biggest casualty as buses remained off the roads. Fearing backlash, many auto-rickshaws also stayed off the roads, putting the daily commuters in great hardships. All petrol pumps in the city also downed their shutters.