BJP, Sena enforce Bharat bandh in Mumbai

Normal life was hit on Monday in several parts of Maharashtra, particularly Mumbai where stone-pelting BJP and Shiv Sena activists tried to disrupt road and rail traffic during the 12-hour bandh called by the opposition to protest price rise.

Cracking down on troublemakers in Mumbai and other places, the police have detained nearly 10,000 people since Sunday, official sources said.

Considering low passenger load in view of the bandh, domestic airlines have cancelled 45 departures and 39 arrivals at the domestic airport.

While taxis and auto-rickshaws are off the road in the country's financial capital, municipal buses and local trains are plying with very few passengers during the usually crowded morning hours.

Schools and colleges in most areas were closed as a precautionary measure.

At suburban Mulund railway station, BJP workers led by former MP Kirit Somaiya were detained while staging "rail roko". In suburban Borivali also, Mumbai BJP president and MLA Gopal Shetty was detained with supporters during a similar protest. 

Video by: Afsar Dayatar

Incidents of stone-pelting on buses and trains were reported from Pune and some parts of Mumbai including Vikhroli, Borivali and Kandivali. However, no one was injured.

Nearly 50 activists led by Shetty stopped a local train at Borivali for 10 minutes before being evicted from the tracks by Government Railway Police (GRP). At Mahim, tyres of few buses were deflated while windowpanes of a bus were smashed by agitators in Vikhroli. Four buses were damaged by protestors in Dadar, police said.

Samajwadi Party MLA Abu Asim Azmi was detained with supporters at Shivaji Nagar in suburban Govandi while blocking vehicular traffic.

Mumbai Taximen Union General secretary A L Quadros said that its fleet of over 50,000 taxis was not plying apprehending violence. Similarly, autorickshaw unions said they have also joined the bandh. Suburban trains were running as per schedule but very few people ventured out, fearing violence.

Attendance in public and private offices, banks and financial institutions has been hit. Police contingents are standing guard across the city, particularly vital installations like railway stations, to prevent any untoward incident.

Video by: Hitesh Harisinghani