The NDA-led shutdown has hit normal life across India as protesters blocked roads and highways, pelted stones at public transport in several cities and disrupted traffic
The shutdown against rising prices and inflation paralysed life in large parts of Maharashtra and its capital Mumbai with public transport off the roads and government buses being stoned in several places.
As Mumbai woke up this morning, a majority of the BEST public buses were seen on the roads along with normal suburban train services.u00a0However, services were hit later in the day and buses began to ply u00a0empty. Most people preferred to remain indoors in the near-total absence of autorickshaws and taxis.
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A BEST driver said, "We were not expecting empty buses. Though we wanted to stay home but we were asked to report on compulsion basis."
Authorities at the Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport made special arrangements for passengers arriving or departing from Mumbai. The focus was also on transit passengers, who would require to commute between the national and international terminals.
BEST buses pelted with stones
In Mumbai, BEST buses were pelted with stones in suburban Mulund, Dadar, Vakola, Charkop, Worli, Kandivali, Kalina, Versova and Vikhroli, damaging windows and windscreens, police sources said.u00a0 BJP activists staged noisy protests outside Borivali station, at SV Road in Kandivali and also in suburban Chembur.u00a0
As many as 42 BEST buses were damaged and two drivers injured due to stone pelting by protestors, police said.u00a0
Local trains u00a0were plying as usual in the city. However, road transport was hit in most parts of the city.u00a0
In Navi Mumbai, trains and buses were plying normally and no incidents of violence was reported.
Sena MLA arrested
Captain Abhijit Adsul, the sena MLA from Amravati district and son of Member of Parliament A Adsul, was arrested at around 10 am at Kandivali along with nearly 50 supporters. Abhijit claims he was carrying out a protest rally with bullock carts and few local people, when the police arrested him.u00a0
"I am at police station they have arrested me and my supporters. We were protesting and will keep protesting the hike," said Abhijit.
Three injured
The BMC's disaster management team informed that three people suffered minor injuries in Marol after an electric overhead wire broke. The victims were treated for their injuries and later discharged from a hospital in Ghatkopar.
BJP workers protesting. Photo: Nimesh Dave
The Eastern Expressway, the arterial road which connects suburbs to Mumbai saw less traffic than usual as some of the officegoers preferred to stay home in view of the bandh. Taxis and autorickaws were plying normally.u00a0
However, leaders of taxi and rickshaw unions have announced that they will take vehicles off the roads in case of any untoward incident. The dabbawalaas, who supply tiffin to office goers have also taken a day off.u00a0
Meanwhile, the Mumbai University has announced that there will no change in its exam schedule for today irrespective of the nationwide bandh. Home Minister R R Patil said the government will take stringent action against those creating nuisance during the bandh and has also asked police officials to deal sternly with incidents of violence during the bandh.u00a0
Empty Dadar railway station. Photo: Nimesh Dave
RPI activists burn tyres. Photo: Suresh KK
Bandh hits Maharashtra
In Pune, protestors damaged 13 Pune Municipal transport buses and they also deflated tyres of buses at some place. Stone pelting was reported on 10 buses in Nagpur and one bus in neighbouring Thane district. In Satara, in western Maharashtra, activists stopped some buses by blocking roads as part of the bandh.u00a0
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Shutdown hits train traffic in Odisha
The movement of trains and commercial vehicles was hit in several parts of Odisha Thursday as the shutdown against the hike in petrol prices, called by various parties, including the ruling Biju Janata Dal (BJD), came into effect.u00a0Read more
Bandh hits normal life in Karnataka
Normal life was disrupted in BJP-ruled Karnataka where bandh supporters set on fire three buses and stoned about a dozen others forcing authorities to withdraw bus services in the city.u00a0Read more
Traffic disrupted, shops closed in Bihar and Rajasthan
The shutdown in Bihar against the hike in petrol prices Thursday impacted life across the state with sporadic violence reported from some areas, police said.u00a0Read more
Punjab, Haryana affected
Hundreds of ruling Shiromani Akali Dal-Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) activists Thursday blocked traffic on highways across Punjab following the nationwide shutdown to protest the recent petrol price hike.u00a0Read more
Shutdown cripples Andhra Pradesh
Road transport services in Andhra Pradesh came to a halt as the opposition-sponsored daylong shutdown to protest the steep hike in petrol prices. The shutdown was partial in Hyderabad but was near total in the districts. u00a0Read more
Shutdown call a success in Jharkhand
"People have voluntarily kept shops shut in the state. The shutdown is successful and historic," state BJP president Dineshnanad Goswami told reporters in Jamshedpur.u00a0Read more
Shops shut across Himachal shut
Shops and commercial establishments were closed across Himachal Pradesh Thursday morning as activists of the ruling BJP and the CPI-M protested the hike in petrol prices
(With inputs from agencies)
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