Bengaluru, Jan 7: Normal life is likely to be affected in the city and several parts of Karnataka on Tuesday following the two-day nation-wide general strike called by central trade unions against the alleged 'repressive' policies for workers by the Narendra Modi government.

With state transport buses likely to stay off the roads, commuters, office goers who use the service may face the brunt.

However, the metro service in Bengaluru, as also auto and taxi service, are likely to function as usual.

Hotels, malls and film theaters are also likely to function as usual, with their unions extending "moral" support to the strike.

Bank services are likely to be disrupted.

District administrations have been given the authority to declare a holiday for schools and colleges depending on the situation there, officials said.

Some universities have deferred the examinations.

In the wake of the strike tomorrow and the day after, representatives of trade unions met Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy and briefed him about the reasons for the strike.

"The strike will be successful in the state...buses won't be there as they will observe strike, we have given notice.

Banks will also not be there. Almost all activities will not be there," AITUC leader Anantha Subbarao told reporters after meeting the Chief Minister.

Stating that it will be a "total strike", he said it is being observed nationally against the policies of the Modi government.

The trade unions have decided to hold a protest march from the Town Hall in the city to Freedom Park on Tuesday, and on Wednesday from the Town Hall to Raj Bhavan.

Meanwhile, describing the two-day Bharat Bandh as "illogical, irrational and politically-motivated" move called by frustrated elements, the Karnataka BJP has called on the people to reject the bandh call and carry on with their normal daily activities.

In a statement here, BJP general secretary N Ravi Kumar said not one issue - on the basis of which the anti-BJP parties have given call for bandh - is convincing and logical.

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Shimla, Nov 30: After finding itself in soup over a CID enquiry on "missing samosas", the Himachal Pradesh government is again in a tight spot for issuing notices to a state roadways conductor and driver after an audio clip with defamatory remarks against Congress leader Rahul Gandhi was allegedly played in their bus.

A man in his complaint to the Chief Minister's Office said defamatory words were used against Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav and other leaders in an audio clip which was played in the Himachal Road Transport Corporation (HRTC) bus plying between Shimla and Sanjauli on November 5.

In a letter to the conductor and driver of the bus on November 25, the HRTC sought explanation from them. The letter went viral on the internet.

Talking to reporters on Friday, HRTC Managing Director Rohan Chand Thakur said a routine complaint was received from a customer after which a fact finding enquiry was initiated. The enquiry was closed as the allegations were found baseless.

However, the wording of the explanation sought could have been better and the officers have been verbally conveyed to improve in the coming times, he added.

The defamatory words were allegedly used in a debate being played in the audio clip.

Reacting sharply to the letter, BJP MLA from Dharamshala, Sudhir Sharma, said the government should appoint marshals to stop audios being played in buses.

"Such decisions of the government are damaging the reputation of the state government as well as the state," he added.

Earlier, the state CID department had ordered an internal enquiry on the samosas which were brought for Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu during a function and by mistake were served to the his security staff. A senior police official had termed the faux pas as an anti-CID and ant-Government act.