Sabkush Headlines: Nationwide Strike Disrupts Life In Metros

Sabkush Headlines: Nationwide Strike Disrupts Life In MetrosNationwide Strike Disrupts Life In Metros

The dawn-to-dusk nationwide strike called by 17 opposition parties including the NDA and Left over fuel price hike disrupted life in almost all the metros and other cities throughout India on Monday. BJP and Shiv Sena activists stoned BEST buses in Mumbai, while there were scores of instances involving political activists stopping movement of trains. Buses were stoned on Pune-Mumbai Expressway. Mumbai-Nagpur Vidarbha Express, Gomti Ganga Express were stopped for several hours by political activists. There was complete shutdown in NDA-ruled states like Bihar, Karnataka, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and Chhatisgarh and in Left Front-ruled states of West Bengal, Kerala and Tripura. There was complete shutdown in Gujarat where buses, cars and autos were hit; most schools and colleges remained closed. Truckers also stayed off the roads. In New Delhi, people faced hardships in reaching their destinations as the workers of Opposition parties, including the Left and BJP, blocked traffic in several parts, leading to traffic jams. In Rajasthan, markets remained closed to avoid any untoward incident. Also, the theatres will not screen films till 6 pm. Normal life was hit in NDA and Left-ruled states on Monday as rail, air and bus services were disrupted during a bandh called against fuel price hike while stray incidents of violence occurred in Maharashtra and Karnataka where BJP workers pelted stones at buses. Senior BJP leaders Arun Jaitley and Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi were arrested in Lucknow while trying to lead a procession towards the main Hazratganj crossing. BJP workers claimed that a number of party activists and leaders were injured when police baton-charged the protestors. In NDA-ruled Bihar, Punjab and Karnataka, life was thrown out of gear with agitators stopping trains and buses. Schools, colleges and business establishments remained closed as groups of protestors hit streets trying to enforce the 12-hour bandh. In West Bengal and Kerala, air, rail and road services were disrupted. Only Air India flights operated out of NSC Bose International Airport in Kolkata as streets wore a deserted look in the eastern metropolis where CITU gave the strike call. In Maharashtra, police cracked down on trouble makers and detained nearly 10,000 people, 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 in Mumbai. While taxis and auto-rickshaws are off the road in the countrys financial capital, municipal buses and local trains were plying with very few passengers during the usually crowded morning hours. At suburban Mulund railway station, BJP workers led by former MP Kirit Somaiya were detained while staging "rail roko". In suburban Borivali, 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. In Delhi, the bandh evoked a lukewarm response though BJP workers blocked road, rail and Metro services in some areas. Buses, autos and private vehicles were on the streets from the morning while offices had more than average attendance.