Escalating its attack on the central government, the Congress party has called for a nationwide shut down on Monday.
Normal life was hit in some states Monday with offices and educational institutes closed and vehicles off the roads during an opposition-sponsored 'Bharat Bandh' which was largely peaceful, barring some incidents of violence.
A three-year-old girl died in Bihar's Jehanabad district which the BJP alleged was due to delay in find a vehicle to take her to the hospital. Train services were affected in Odisha.
The bandh was called by 21 opposition parties led by Congress president Rahul Gandhi. It was kickstarted at Rajghat where Gandhi offered holy water from his Kailash Mansarovar yatra. He then accompanied opposition leaders then marched to Ramlila Maidan from Rajghat.
In states like Kerala, Karnataka, Bihar, Odisha and Arunachal Pradesh life was hit by the shutdown, but Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal and Mizoram remained largely unaffected.
Rahul Gandhi alleged hatred was being spread and the country being divided under the rule of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The BJP dubbed the bandh as an attempt to spread rumour and confusion among the masses and said people will "puncture the grand alliance balloon" floated by the opposition party.
15:36 IST Monday, 10 September 2018
15:24 IST Monday, 10 September 2018
Swamy, however, added that Prime Minister Narendra Modi must take steps to control the rising fuel prices.
"I believe when it comes to petrol prices, it should be treated with importance as the entire transportation system is affected. Petrol should not be more than Rs 40. The Prime Minister should direct the Petroleum Ministry to look into the issue and make sure that petrol is not sold at more than Rs 40."
15:22 IST Monday, 10 September 2018
"Under the Congress regime also petrol prices had increased and they made silly comments during that time. They have no moral right to protest now," BJP leader Subramanian Swamy told ANI.
15:21 IST Monday, 10 September 2018
While the Madhya Pradesh Congress called the shutdown successful, the ruling BJP accused the former of adopting "anarchic" ways to intimidate people to enforce the bandh.
Several Congress leaders led rallies asking people and shopkeepers to participate in the shutdown and there were also reports of party workers trying to forcibly shut fuel pumps and other commercial establishments in Ujjain.
15:21 IST Monday, 10 September 2018
Police said that over 300 Congress functionaries were detained across Gujarat, including state party chief Amit Chavda and Gujarat party in-charge Rajiv Satav from Lal Darwaja area in Ahmedabad.
Schools were shut in areas including Ahmedabad, Rajkot and Mehsana and there were reports of Congress workers forcing petrol pumps to down shutters in some parts of the state.
14:05 IST Monday, 10 September 2018
As part of the Bharat bandh called by the Congress Monday, its leaders in Goa visited fuel pumps to apprise people of the Centre's policies which the party claimed had led to its prices skyrocketing.
All India Congress Committee secretary A Chellakumar told reporters that the state unit of the Congress was not observing the shutdown as Goa is getting ready for Ganesh festivities.
"We don't want people to suffer because of the bandh as they are busy in last minute shopping for Ganesh Chaturthi. That is is why we decided to visit petrol pumps and create awareness among people," Chellakumar said.
13:59 IST Monday, 10 September 2018
BJP's ally in the centre and in Maharashtra, Shiv Sena seems to have a different take on Bharat Bandh. In the editorial of the party's mouthpiece Saamna, they wrote, "We have been carrying the burden of Opposition leaders so far and we now want to see the strength of the Opposition. People’s interests are protected when Opposition parties perform with efficiency.".
"The people of this country have been watching closely how inflation is rising and petrol and diesel prices are escalating. Hopefully, the bandh should not look like the opposition has suddenly woken up from a long sleep on peoples issues and called for the bandh," the Sena publication said.
"Let some in the opposition parties realise where exactly they stand when it comes to peoples issues," it said.
13:35 IST Monday, 10 September 2018
Train services were affected in Odisha as Congress workers blocked railway tracks to enforce the 'Bharat Bandh.' The party workers staged dharna and blocked railway tracks in many places including Bhubaneswar, Khurda Road, Puri, Berhampur, Sambalpur and Balasore.
13:32 IST Monday, 10 September 2018
"This bandh is benefiting only the extortionists. People know what’s happening. Nowhere in the country it’s successful except for Karnataka because it’s a conspiracy of the Congress and JD(S)," BJP’s Karnataka unit president BS Yeddyurappa told News 18.
13:30 IST Monday, 10 September 2018
According to a report in The Hindu, protestors are forcefully shutting down shops in Kerala’s Mukkom in Kozhikode district.
Police are also ferrying special vehicles to take passengers to railway stations and hospitals.
13:28 IST Monday, 10 September 2018
"Everyone has a right to protest but what is happening today. Petrol pumps and buses being set ablaze, putting to risk lives. A child died after an ambulance was stuck in the protests in Bihar's Jehanabad. Who is responsible?" said Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad.
13:27 IST Monday, 10 September 2018
"Just few cronies benefit from this govt’s policies. It steamrolls ordinary Indians who suffer under fuel prices surging every day. Oil price hikes of this order, will raise prices of everything," CPI (M) leader Sitaram Yechury.
12:41 IST Monday, 10 September 2018
A two-year-old succumbed to death after the ambulance carrying her to the hospital was stopped by protestors amid the chaos of Bharat Bandh in Bihar's Jehanabad.
12:27 IST Monday, 10 September 2018
Bharat Bandh also brought out some laughs thanks to these tweets.
12:07 IST Monday, 10 September 2018
Responding to the protests, UP CM Yogi Adityanath told ANI, "Frustrated opposition doesn't have any strategy and leadership, what else can be expected from them? I hope God gives them sense so they can differentiate between positive & negative otherwise in future they will even lose their position as Opposition.
Union Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said that Bharat will be moving and progressing. According to him, Congress will see the 'Mahagatbandhan' balloon burst really soon.
11:53 IST Monday, 10 September 2018
Police in Ahmedabad try to stop Congress workers from burning an effigy. In Madhya Pradesh Congress workers vandalised petrol pumps.
11:44 IST Monday, 10 September 2018
Lukewarm response to Bharat Bandh in south Kolkata. Most shops are open and for many more, it is too early to start the business. Train and road blockades have been reported from adjoining areas of Kolkata and parts of some districts.
11:30 IST Monday, 10 September 2018
Petrol pumps are shut in some parts of Ahmedabad as a precautionary measure in view of the Bharat Bandh call. BRTS and AMTS buses are also not operating in some parts of the city. The response to the bandh is mixed as most shops and commercial establishments are open.
Gujarat Congress in-charge Rajeev Satav, Gujarat Congress president Amit Chavda, and a few MLAs have been detained by police.
11:14 IST Monday, 10 September 2018
Maharashtra Navnirman Sena workers forcefully shut down shops in Mumbai and in Pune. In Pune, they damaged a couple of public transport buses.
Today's fuel prices
Petrol at Rs 80.73/litre (increase by Rs 0.23/litre) and diesel at Rs 72.83/litre (increase by Rs 0.22/litre) in Delhi.
Petrol at Rs 88.12/litre (increase by Rs 0.23/litre) and diesel at Rs 77.32/litre (increase by Rs 0.23/litre) in Mumbai.
10:58 IST Monday, 10 September 2018
Transport system remains normal in Mumbai despite Congress effort to do rail roko and MNS attempt to disrupt Metro services. Full details here
10:55 IST Monday, 10 September 2018
Ex- PM addressing the crowd on Bharat Bandh
10:30 IST Monday, 10 September 2018
Reports of vandalism coming from Bihar. Rail roko in several places. In capital Patna, ANI is reporting that worked of Jan Adhikar Party are resorting to vandalism.
10:19 IST Monday, 10 September 2018
Sonia Gandhi and former prime minister Manmohan Singh join Congress-led opposition parties supported bandh protest against fuel price hike.
9:29 IST Monday, 10 September 2018
Congress President Rahul Gandhi and opposition party leaders march from Rajghat towards Ramlila Maidan, to protest against fuel price hike.
9:28 IST Monday, 10 September 2018
Jan Adhikar Party Loktantrik workers block railway tracks in Patna's Rajendra Nagar Terminal railway station in support to bandh.
9:27 IST Monday, 10 September 2018
Protesters in Gujarat's Bharuch burn tyres and stop buses.
► 8:00 IST Monday, 10 September 2018
Bus services of North Eastern Karnataka Road Transport Corporation (NEKRTC) aren't operational
► 7:57 IST Monday, 10 September 2018
CPI(M) holds protest in #AndhraPradesh's Visakhapatnam
► 7:57 IST Monday, 10 September 2018
Odisha: Congress workers block a train in Sambalpur.
Who all are participating
While the Congress is leading the Bharat Bandh, here are other Opposition parties, who have decided to join the anti-Modi government protest. These parties are
1. Samajwadi Party
2. Bahujan Samaj Party
3. Nationalist Congress Party
4. Rashtriya Lok Dal
5. Rashtriya Janata Dal
6. Communist Party of India
7. Communist Party of India (Marxist)
8. All India United Democratic Front
9. Jammu & Kashmir National Conference
10. Jharkhand Mukti Morcha
11. Jharkhand Vikas Morcha (Prajatantrik)
12. Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam
13. Telugu Desam Party
14. Kerala Congress (M)
15. Revolutionary Socialist Party
16. Indian Union Muslim League
17. Loktantrik Janata Dal (Sharad Yadav)
18. Swabhimani Paksha (Raju Shetti)
19. Maharashtra Navnirman Sena
Who all are opposing the Bharat Bandh?
The ruling BJP and its allies in the National Democratic Alliance are obviously against the Bharat Bandh. Even BJP's most sulking ally Shiv Sena has also steered clear of the Bharat Bandh.
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