Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray appealed to the state road transport corporation employees not to hold the state's poor people hostage by continuing their strike, and cooperate with the government in its effort to resolve their issues.

In a statement, Thackeray also hit out at the opposition for "instigating" the Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) employees for their political gains. This is not the time to play politics, he said. Bus operations at all 250 depots of the state-run MSRTC were shut on Wednesday due to the strike by its employees over the demand for a merger of the cash-strapped corporation with the state government.