New Delhi, Apr 10 (IANS): The central government has sent 30 companies of Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) -- the country's largest paramilitary force -- to various states to maintain law and order during the "Bharat Bandh" called on Tuesday.

Home Ministry officials said 14 of these companies have been sent to Uttar Pradesh, eight to Rajasthan, and four each to Madhya Pradesh and Bihar to prevent any untoward incident during the bandh called in protest against the country's reservation policy.

The bandh, which has been called by various groups protesting against caste-based reservation to Scheduled Castes/ Scheduled Tribes (SC/ST) and Other Backward Classes (OBCs), affected normal life in several parts of the country.

On Monday, the Union Home Ministry had issued an advisory to all states to take precautionary measures in view of calls in social media for the Bharat Bandh by various anti-reservation groups to protest clashes during the April 2 SC/ST shutdown.

The April 2 Bharat Bandh by Dalit groups against the alleged dilution of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act by a Supreme Court order had led to violence and arson in many parts of the country that claimed eight lives and left several injured.