Accusing both NDA and Left parties of indulging in “sensationalism” over the issue of recent hike in fuel prices, the Congress on Monday termed the Bharat bandh called by Opposition parties a “complete flop”. The party claimed the nation-wide protest against fuel hike only received negative reaction. But both the NDA and the Left parties termed the bandh as an “unprecedented success” and said the protest against the issue would continue.

In her most comprehensive remarks yet on how India views its relationship with Iran, foreign secretary Nirupama Rao said on Monday this was a “fundamental” component of its “Look West” policy.

The response to the Bharat Bandh call given by the Bharatiya Janata Party and other Opposition parties against rising prices was total in the state capital where shops, business establishments and private offices remained closed on Monday.

Top-ranked women’s lifter Monika Devi on Monday joined 33 other elite lifters in the ongoing training programme for the Commonwealth Games, after her two-year doping ban ended last month.

The monsoon has finally arrived in the national capital, with nearly 60 mm rain recorded in 24 hours since Sunday night. The maximum temperature, in the high 30s and early 40s in the past few days, fell to 32 degrees Celsius on Monday, four degrees below normal. The minimum was 25.5 degrees Celsius, three degrees below normal.

The nation-wide bandh called by the Opposition parties saw mixed responses in the state and several top leaders, including former chief minister N. Chandrababu Naidu, were arrested during protests on Monday.

Olympian Achanta Sharath Kamal notched up the biggest title of his career when he clinched the US Open Table Tennis Championships crown, beating Keineth Thomas of Slovakia in Michigan.

Differences between CPI(M) general secretary Prakash Karat and West Bengal chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee led to the latter walking out of the party politburo meeting on Sunday evening.

The Left Front’s Bharat Bandh on Monday brought West Bengal to a grinding halt. On the first working day of the week, empty roads in Kolkata presented a surreal picture. The City of Joy looked like a ghost city. Old timers agreed that after a very long time the city witnessed such a total bandh. On the last few occasion, common people had come out of their homes and went to their work places defying the bandh. But on Monday, they remained indoors. And many taking advantage of an extended weekend, went for a holiday to Digha and Sundarbans.

Former Australia opener Geoff Marsh has been appointed coach of new Indian Premier League side Sahara Pune Warriors while Demot Reeve, former England all rounder, will be the assistant coach.