A major part of the city remained unaffected by the bandh call, with only a few shops downing their shutters.

Localities in the vicinity of Yadav’s house remained partially affected by the bandh. Traders downed their shutters temporarily, only when party activists tried to use force in areas like Dalmandi, Chowk, Raja Darwaja and Godowlia.

Similar scenes were witnessed in Teliabag, Chowkaghat and Luxa. In Sigra, during a procession, SP workers hurled stones at a commercial complex, prompting traders to close their shops.

But shops and commercial establishments in trans-Varuna areas, including Pandeypur, Bhojubir and Orderly Bazaar, remained closed.

The traders in these areas, however, abstained from work. Friday’s killing of an auto-rickshaw driver during a clash with college students and locals had made them apprehensive of more violence.

Varanasi SP Rajiv Malhotra said, “No untoward incident was reported from anywhere during the bandh, as elaborate security arrangements had been made around the city.”

He added that investigation into Yadav’s and auto-rickshaw driver Sahbe Alam’s murder will be worked out soon.

Some like Fakruddin, a shoe-seller in Orderly Bazaar area, closed his shop to protest against the killing of Alam and the police lathicharge which had injured his relative.

“We are not supporting SP’s call, but showing sympathy and support for the slain driver and his family,” Fakruddin said.

Meanwhile, a meeting of party leaders, including former state ministers Om Prakash Singh and Surendra Patel, took place at Azad Park, which condemned the March 5 killing of Yadav and also criticised the police’s inability to arrest the killers. The leaders claimed that today’s bandh was a total success.