NEW DELHI  Protests against a recent increase in fuel prices shut down markets, schools, airports and businesses across India on Monday, and thousands of people were arrested as violence flared in some cities.

The effect of the demonstrations  led by political parties that oppose the governing coalition led by the Indian National Congress  far exceeded expectations, although no official estimates of crowds were available. Some people affected by the one-day strike said the sizable opposition would force the government to address protesters’ concerns.

Image Indian police in Mumbai detained party activists at a protest during a nationwide strike against the hike in fuel prices on Monday. Credit... Rafiq Maqbool/Associated Press

“This will create some sense of fear in the government,” said Vikas Sharma, 35, the owner of a cloth shop in Old Delhi, who was sitting idly outside his store.