Darjeeling: The Bharat bandh called by the Left Front and Congress trade unions failed to evoke any response in Darjeeling and Kalimpong Hills. Tourists visiting Darjeeling were not affected by the bandh at all with shops remaining open and vehicles plying. "We were unsure of how things would turn out on the day of the bandh. A day lost in the itinerary would be a big loss. However, there was no problem at all. The restaurants and shops were all open and we could visit the tourist spots also," said Mahendra Sharma, a tourist from Delhi. Incidentally, Darjeeling in the past has been a witness to long stretches of bandhs crippling normal life. However, after the Binoy Tamang faction of the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha came into power in the Hills in 2017 ending a 104-day long bandh, Tamang had declared that the Hills would be a "Bandh free zone". On Tuesday, he has issued a statement that despite supporting the issues the GJM were not in favour of the bandh. Shops, business establishments and offices functioned normally. Vehicles including taxis also plied. "Tea gardens in the Hills functioned normally. The bandh did not have any effect on the Hills tea gardens," said Sandeep Mukherjee, Principal Advisor, Darjeeling Tea Association. However, the bandh evoked a mixed response in the plains of the district. Government buses, autos and totos plied in Siliguri but a majority of shops on Hill Cart Road and Sevok Road remained closed. There was a mixed response of the bandh in the tea gardens of Terai and Dooars. "The bandh evoked no response at all. Everything functioned normally. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is leading an agitation against CAA, NRC and NPR, the public are with her," said Rabindra Nath Ghosh, TMC leader and North Bengal Development Minister. Besides, there were no reports of any violence in the Darjeeling district.

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