Coimbatore : Even as the nation-wide bandh over petrol price evoked a mixed response in the district, members of major opposition parties staged a demonstration seeking to bring down the prices in view of the suffering of the people in almost all sectors.

While government buses plied as usual, the private buses remained indoors in support of the bandh, as 50 per cent of autorickshaws were on the road, without affecting the normal life much in the city.

Majority of knitwear manufacturing units downed their shutters in Tirupur, where all major trade unions extended their support to the bandh, leading to a loss of production to the tune of Rs.500 crore.

Majority of the shops remained closed in Gudalur, Pandalur and Udhagamandalam in Nilgiris district and most of the cabs did not operate, affecting the visiting tourists, police said.

Services of Inter-state buses from Tamil Nadu to Kerala and Karnataka either cancelled or stopped at the border in Coimbatore, Tirupur and Nilgiris districts.

Political parties staged demonstration in Coimbatore, in which local leaders of Congress, CPIM, CPI, MDMK and DMK participated.