Indian workers strike over food, fuel prices

Flights, rail services and road traffic in parts of India were badly affected Tuesday and some schools and businesses shut down by a strike called by the country's opposition communist parties and their allies to protest rising food and fuel prices.

Food prices have jumped nearly 20 percent from last year amid shortages caused by weak monsoon rains that led to a drought while the costs of fuel and power have risen nearly 13 percent in March from a year ago, according to government data.

The sharp rises have pushed India's headline inflation to 9.9 percent in March and become a political issue with the opposition parties attacking the ruling Congress party for not doing enough, holding up business in Parliament.

The eastern city of Calcutta, capital of West Bengal state that is governed by the Communist Party of India (Marxist), was among the worst hit as airport workers joined the daylong strike and several airlines canceled flights to the city until Tuesday evening.

Protesters also held up trains and traffic for several hours in the states of Bihar, Orissa, Uttar Pradesh and Kerala, officials and Press Trust of India news agency said. Schools, colleges and businesses were also shut in several areas across the affected states.

In Bihar, police took nearly 400 protesters into custody to prevent further protests and violence, according to Neelmani, the state's top police official, who goes by just one name.

In the northern state of Uttar Pradesh, hundreds of protesters were also detained, according to Brij Lal, a senior police official.

Protesters also set at least three cars on fire in the state capital, Lucknow, he said.

No major violence or injuries were reported, police said.