Early reports said that opposition workers had blocked railway tracks in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar states.

 

A key ally of the ruling coalition⁴ has pulled out of the government in protest at the plan.

 

Observers say the coalition's majority in parliament is not at immediate⁵ risk.

 

Thursday's nationwide strike, called by the main opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), its allies and Communist parties, has shut down schools, businesses and public transport in many cities.

 

TV channels showed protests taking place in the cities of Patna, Allahabad and Varanasi in northern India.

 

Most businesses were shut in the eastern city of Calcutta and public transport was disrupted, reports said. 

 

The southern state of Karnataka, which is ruled by the BJP, was shut down in response to the strike call with buses off the roads and schools, hotels and commercial establishments closed.

 

The state capital, Bangalore - home to hundreds of IT companies including multinationals⁷ like IBM and Microsoft - was completely shut down. 

 

"The fear factor is the reason for the closure," a spokesperson for a multinational⁶ company told the BBC.

 

"We have asked our employees to stay back at home. We will instead work on Saturday," an official of Infosys, one of India's leading software companies, said.

 

The Confederation of All India Traders said 50 million people were expected to participate in the protests, and that large demonstrations⁸ were planned in Delhi and other cities.

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