CHENNAI: Normal life largely remained unaffected here Monday in view of the " Bharat Bandh " called by the Congress to protest the rising prices of petroleum products, as the public transport operated smoothly while most commercial establishments remained open.Police sources said government buses were plying as usual even as educational institutions and a large number of shops and commercial establishments remained open.However, autorickshaws affiliated to trade unions participating in Monday's shutdown kept off the roads but a majority of them were plying, they said.In Coimbatore, normal life was not affected as shops and commercial establishments opened as usual.Police said city buses were operating but those bound for Kerala were not plying.Buses bound to Karnataka from here were stopped at Hosur, the police added.In Tirupur, majority of knitwear units remained closed, they said.The nation-wide bandh has been called by the Congress over rising fuel prices and depreciation of the rupee.