The Gujarat Bandh call given by an amalgamation of 15 social groups failed to evoke a good response in the state, except Ahmedabad city, on Monday.

The bandh call was given by a group led by Jagega Gujarat Sangharsh Samiti, to protest against the Asaram Ashram in the wake of the mysterious deaths of two students of its gurukul. The group is demanding a CBI probe into the incident.

Although the Gujarat Pradesh Congress Committee (GPCC) had extended support to the bandh, normal life in places like Saurashtra-Kutch region, and central, north and south Gujarat remained more or less unaffected.

In all the eight districts of Saurashtra-Kutch, Rajkot, Bhavnagar, Amreli, Surendranagar, Jamnagar, Porbandar and Junagadh schools, colleges, government offices and even private firms functioned as usual. Earlier in the day, the Kadiya community (to which the Vaghelas belong) in the Rajkot city called off a rally following police intervention.

At Bhavnagar, the police detained local Congress leaders as a precautionary measure. At Surat in south Gujarat, which houses the biggest Asaram Bapu Ashram, the bandh did not generate much response from the public.