The bandh in Maharashtra on Wednesday , which ended later in the day, began rather peacefully with increased police patrolling across Mumbai, Pune and Nagpur. Large parts of Pune, Nagpur and Mumbai witnessed protesters stopping vehicles. The bandh was called by Dalit organisations in protest against the clashes at the bicentenary celebrations of the battle of Bhima-Koregaon on Monday.
How a British war memorial became a symbol of Dalit pride
Clashes break out between Bhim Sainiks, Hindutva activists
Clashes broke out between Bhim Sainiks and Hindutva activists in some districts of the State during the bandh. In some districts in western Maharashtra, especially Kolhapur, Hindutva activists took out marches to counter the demonstrations of Bhim Sainiks.
Paswan seeks time-bound inquiry, strict action
Union Minister Ram Vilas Paswan has called for a time-bound inquiry into the caste violence. He said strict action should be taken against those found guilty.
Mr. Paswan, chief of the Lok Jan Shakti Party, an NDA ally, also rejected the charge that such violence was taking place mostly in BJP-ruled States. He said Bihar had witnessed a number of such incidents under the rule of Rashtriya Janata Dal leader Lalu Prasad.
“Judicial inquiry should be conducted in a time-bound manner. Some people are saying that it was due to administrative lapses while others are accusing some people behind the violence. Whosoever are guilty, strict action should be taken against them,” he told a TV channel outside Parliament.
Bandh called off
The day-long bandh has been withdrawn, says Bharipa Bahujan Mahasangh leader Prakash Ambedkar. He tells reporters that nearly 50% of the State’s population took part in the shutdown.
Road blockades, arson and pelting of stones were reported in Mumbai and elsewhere during the day. However, Mr. Ambedkar, claimed that the bandh was peaceful.
Despite the call for withdrawal, protesters in Nagpur haven't stopped sloganeering.
Parts of Nagpur peaceful now
While northern Nagpur still faces a tense situation, west Nagpur is peaceful for now.
Protesters attack the house of BJP MLA Nana Shamkule in Chandrapur.
Protestors are clashing with the police in Indora.
South Mumbai shuts down
In South Mumbai's Colaba, not a single store or restaurant is open, barring an odd medical store. Groups of people with Jai Bhim flags were seen riding bikes over the past hour, shouting slogans and ensuring a total shutdown. The few commuters who ventured out were stranded owing to non-availability of bus services and taxis, reports Vikas Dhoot . Fort, by contrast, still has a handful of commercial establishments that are open so far.
Film, TV shoots hit, some cancelled
The bandh affected the film and television industry with some shoots being disrupted and others being cancelled as a precautionary measure.
Shoots of shows like Kundali Bhagya , Aisi Deewangi Dekhi Nahi Kahi , aired on Zee TV channel, were affected in Andheri and Jogeshwari respectively.
Shoots of Mithun Chakraborty’s Dance India Dance , where the actor is a judge, Voice India Kids , Bhabi Ji Ghar Pe Hai! and few others, however, went on smoothly.
Some filmmakers chose to defer the promotional events of their upcoming movies which were scheduled to take place today.
(Inputs from PTI)
Congress accuses Hindutva outfits of triggering clashes
Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge raised the Maharashtra violence during zero hour in the Lok Sabha.
“The RSS and certain hardcore Hindutva outfits are behind the violence. They are trying to drive a wedge between the Marathas and Dalits in Maharashtra,” Mr. Kharge alleged.
“Why is Prime Minister Narendra Modi silent on the issue? He always maintaince silence on issues relating to Dalits. He has become a ‘Mouni Baba’on Dalit issues,” he said.
Mr. Kharge’s comments triggered angry responses from the BJP members, with Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ananth Kumar rebutting the charges and accusing the Congress of trying to play politics over the issue.
Ahmednagar remains peaceful
Police stated that the bandh evoked a partial response in Ahmednagar district and that no incidents of violence or pelting of stones have been reported till late afternoon.
Schools and colleges remained shut as a precautionary measure and buses of the Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) stayed off the roads, said officials.
The effect of the bandh was seen in areas like Shrirampur, Kopergaon, Haregaon, Bhingar, Shevgaon, Jamkhed and Shirdi, among other places.
(reports PTI)
BAMU exams cancelled
Several districts in the Marathwada region, especially Aurangabad, have been acutely affected by the bandh. Internet services were suspended since morning. First-year exams at Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar Marathwada University (BAMU) too were cancelled.
According to Savitribai Phue Pune University (SPPU), a paper of Masters of Pharmacy, scheduled for the day was postponed, reports PTI .
In Nashik , the bandh completely cripples public and private transport. Bus services across districts in western Maharashtra like Satara remains suspended. Inter-State bus services from Maharashtra to neighbouring Karnataka were suspended temporarily as a precautionary measure.
The effect of the bandh is felt in the State's Konkan region. Bhim Sainiks stage a 'rasta roko' on the Mumbai-Goa Highway in Sindhudurg district.
Situation heats up in Nagpur
Tension mounts in Nagpur as protesters target police vehicles in Indora and North Nagpur areas which are considered to be Dalit-dominated localities. Police lathi charge on protesters in Sitaburdi area of Nagpur. Protesters are shouting slogans against the RSS. Except Wardha Road, all roads of Nagpur are witnessing protests.
Joint Commissioner of Police Shivaji Bodhke tells PTI that two incidents of pelting of stones were reported in the city. A man gets injured in pelting of stones in New Kamptee area, he says.
Mumbai : The Eastern Express Highway in Ghatkopar appears deserted, with almost no vehicular movement.
Gadchiroli : Good response to the bandh call in the district. Korchi and Armori divisions of Gadchiroli are observing the bandh.
Pune : Additional Commissioner of Police (South/North Region) Ravindra Sengaonkar says that there were two instances of pelting of stones, one in Sukhsagar Nagar and the other in Singhgad Road on buses of the Pune Mahanagar Parivahan Mahamandal Limited (PMPNL).
According to the PMPNL, since Tuesday, 42 buses from its fleet had been stoned and since Wednesday morning, the number of buses being hit by stones stood at around 10 to 12. “Buses are being plied under instructions from the police,” said a PMPMl officer.
BEST buses targeted in Mumbai
Thirteen buses of the civic transport service ‘BEST’ are damaged by protesters in Kalanagar area (Bandra), Dharavi, Kamraj Nagar, Santosh Nagar, Dindoshi and Hanuman Nagar, an official from the Disaster Management Unit of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) tells PTI .
The city witnessed a major disruption of road traffic owing to protests in the eastern suburbs on Tuesday.
Select services of the metro shut down
Services between Ghatkopar and Airport road are shut due to security reasons since 11.30 am, says the PRO of Mumbai Metro. As of now, the Metro is plying only between Airport road and Versova.
Protesters shout slogans at Malad station amid heavy police presence. Western Railway services are currently running 15-30 minutes behind schedule.
Shops shut down forcibly
In Pimpri- Chinchwad, Bhosari and Nigdi areas in Pune, shops are being forcibly shut down by protesters at a number of places.
Reports suggest that there is visible anger against the press and that anti-press slogans are heard.
In Mumbai, police try to disperse mobs that had gathered at the Nallasopara railway station on the Western line of the suburban train line. Mumbai police say on Twitter that the Eastern freeway traffic has been affected due to road Bbockade at Panjrapol junction and suggests that users avoid it for a while.
Rajya Sabha adjourned over Bhima-Koregaon issue
Rajya Sabha has been adjourned till noon after Opposition members raise the tense situation in Maharashtra over the Bhima-Koregaon clashes.
Shortly thereafter, the Lok Sabha too is adjourned after the Zero Hour after Congress members shout slogans to protest against ''atrocities'' against Dalits.
Nagpur on edge with police and protesters on streets
Dalits pour out on the roads protesting with slogans like 'Fadnavis Sarkar Murdabad'. The Nagpur-Mumbai highway, which wears a deserted look, has been blocked from one side by the protesters. The city buses are not running and petrol pumps remain closed. Protesters are also gathering at Sitaburdi square, the main square in Nagpur.
Schools have been given half day off. District Collector of Akola has ordered closure of all schools and colleges.
Protesters stop vehicles from plying in Mumbai and Pune
Protests gather momentum across Mumbai as agitators enter Dun & Bradstreet in Powai, reports Gautam Mengle .
Protesters stop vehicles from plying in different parts of Mumbai, including Goregaon, Bhoiwada Junction and Thane Junction.
Passengers are stranded at the airport as Ola and Uber are not taking any passengers. Piyush Pandey reports that there are long queues for the prepaid taxis at the airport, but due to non-availability of cabs, officials are just issuing the tokens.
The Mumbai police have advised commuters to avoid Kalanagar and MMRDA Junction and to use S. V. Road Western Express Highway.
Live updates are available at the Mumbai police's Twitter handle .
Airlines waive cancellation charges
Domestic carriers, including the government-owned Air India, have waived charges for ticket cancellations and no-show due to the ongoing unrest in parts of Maharashtra, reports PTI .
Air India says it will not charge any fee for cancellation of tickets or rescheduling of a journey to/from Mumbai on January 2 and 3.
Protesters block roads in Pune
In Pune, protesters gather near Dandekar bridge, Alaka talkies square. Windscreens of a few State transport buses are damaged in pelting of stones.
Suburban train lines blocked
The Western Railways says the suburban train services have been delayed in a few areas due to protests.
"Some protesters are not allowing dispatch & reception of suburban trains at Virar. Administration & Security staff making every effort to normalise the situation. Due to this, Services are delayed," tweeted the rail body.
"Tracks have been evacuated of protesters and train operations have resumed at Virar & Goregaon from 9.05 hrs on WR suburban. Trains are delayed due to it," it added.
Protest against government’s "failure," says Prakash Ambedkar
Mr. Prakash Ambedkar has called for a Maharashtra bandh today to protest the State government’s “failure” to stop the violence at Bhima Koregaon village in Pune district two days ago.
Mr. Ambedkar has alleged that Hindu Ekta Aghadi was responsible for the violence.
He said the Maharashtra Democratic Front, the Maharashtra Left Front and some 250 other organisations have supported the call for shutdown.
Increased police presence across the city
Many areas of the city, including Chembur Naka and Worli Naka, which were affected in Tuesday's bout of protests, see an increase in police presence.