Bharat Bandh: Violence in several states, petrol pumps vandalised, rail tracks blocked

NEW DELHI: Cases of violence have been reported from several states by protestors observing 'Bharat Bandh' against rising fuel prices in the country. Protesters in Bharuch in Gujarat burnt tyres and stopped buses resulting in the traffic movement being affected. In Madhya Pradesh's Ujjain, protestors reportedly identified as Congress workers vandalised a petrol pump.

Trains were stopped in several states during the shutdown on Monday. Congress workers blocked a train in Sambalpur in Odisha. Workers of the Jan Adhikar Party Loktantrik blocked railway tracks at Patna's Rajendra Nagar Terminal railway station in support of the bandh call. These workers also vandalised vehicles in Bihar.

In Mumbai too, Congress workers staged 'Rail Roko' at the Andheri railway station. The East Coast Railway Zone had to cancel 12 trains including Bhubaneswar-Howrah Jan Shatabdi Express and Bhubaneswar-Visakhapatnam Inter City Express in the view of the bandh. 

Jan Adhikar Party Loktantrik workers block railway tracks in Patna's Rajendra Nagar Terminal railway station in support to #BharatBandh that has been called by Congress and other opposition parties today over fuel price hike. pic.twitter.com/tFTmCOrXqe — ANI (@ANI) September 10, 2018

Bus services were also affected in several parts of the country. In Kalaburagi in Karnataka, bus services of North Eastern Karnataka Road Transport Corporation (NEKRTC) are not operational while in Telangana, Congress workers held protests in Yadadri Bhuvanagiri district's Bhongir and Musheerabad bus depot in Hyderabad.

Disturbing scenes were witnessed in Bihar where Loktantrik Janata Dal workers carried a motorbike on their shoulders to protest against fuel price hike. In Mumbai, MNS workers forcefully shut down shops and establishments at Bharatmata Junction Naka in Parel.

Security has been tightened in Jaipur and police has taken precautionary measures. They have been directed to take stringent actions against the protesters who will restore to violence during protests.

Several opposition parties, led by Congress, have called for a 'Bharat Bandh' on Monday to protest against the rising fuel prices across the country.