CHENNAI: A virtual bandh like situation prevails in Tamil Nadu as Chief Minister and DMK President M Karunanidhi on October 1 began a day long fast demanding speedy implementation of the Sethusamudram Shipping Canal Project (SSCP).

Leaders of the alliance partners of the DMK, including TNCC President M Krishnasamy, PMK founder S Ramadoss, leaders of left parties, DPI General Secretary Thol Thirumavalavan and Dravidar Kazhagam leader K Veeramani, sat on a fast along with Karunanidhi in front of the State Guest House in Chennai’s Chepauk area.

The DMK-led DPA had earlier called for a bandh on October 1 but it was stayed by the Supreme court on Sunday in a special sitting on a SLP filed by the opposition AIADMK, seeking to declare the bandh as unconstitutional.

Similar fasts are underway in all the district and taluk headquarters of the State in which functionaries of the DMK and its allies are participating. Asserting that the apex court order was not binding on them, a majority of the trade unions stuck to their earlier decision to strike work on October 1.

Normal life in the State came to a grinding halt as buses were off the roads. Shopkeepers down their shutters and several schools have declared a holiday. Public transport services were badly hit as a majority of trade unions, including the DMK-affiliated Labour Progressive Front, CITU and All India Trade Union Congress, decided to observe a day's strike.

However, train services were maintained with the Southern Railway operating both the EMU and the long distance services. Some of the airlines had also announced cancellation of the flights due to poor public patronage as several people had cancelled their tickets after a bandh was called for October 1.

The tinsel world also expressed its solidarity to the Chief Minister on the issue by announcing cancellation of film shooting for the day. Cinema halls have also cancelled the morning and afternoon shows.