Cong-ruled Maharashtra hit by Oppn bandh

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 trouble makers in Mumbai and other places, the police have detained nearly 10,000 people since yesterday, 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 here.

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.

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 window panes 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.

Meanwhile in Pune, as many as 12 city buses have been damaged by bandh supporters. The buses plying in Kothrud and Pimpri area were stopped and stoned, damaging window glass panes, a spokesman for the Pune municipal corporation said.

Pune-Mumbai Sinhagad express and Indrayani express were halted at Kandhala near Lonavala hill station for 10 to 15 minutes.

In Amravati, the Mumbai-Gondia Vidarbha Express was stopped between Malkhed and Chandur railway station for atleast 40 minutes in Nagpur division around 0600 hours this morning by a group of Shivsainiks, who boarded the train at Patnera in the district.

In Parbhani, Sena and CPM protesters staged a rail blockade and stopped Sachkhand Express, Adilabad-Parbhani Express and Hyderabad-Abad Express were stopped for nearly half an hour while in Beed district, Gopinath Munde's daughter and MLA Pankaja and nephew Dhananjay Munde staged protests at Parli railway station.

In Nashik, all commercial establishments, restaurants, markets, petrol pumps and schools remaining closed in view of the bandh.

According to MSRTC sources agitators damaged seven city buses at Ambad, Satpur, Aadgaon-naka, trimurti-chowk localities by pelting stones, following which they were routed back to Panchavati depot.

Meanwhile both city and rural police in Nashik have made elaborate security arrangements at sensitive points and more than 250 people were rounded as precautionary measure.

Reports from Jalgaon, Dhule, Nandurbar and Ahmednagar districts under Nashik division said transport was disrupted in several areas there as auto rickshaws and taxis were off the roads and protesters stopped Dhule-Chalisgaon shuttle train causing inconvenience to daily commuters.

In Nagpur, 23 buses were damaged by miscreants and 100 persons were detained by police following the bandh.

BJP state spokesman Girish Vyas claimed the bandh to be a success and said traders have extended their support to the shutdown call.

All schools and commercial establishments remained closed in this second capital of Maharashtra.