Sporadic violence, vandalism mar Maharashtra bandh

A bandh in Maharashtra on Wednesday has been largely peaceful so far, though normal life was affected with increased police patrolling across Mumbai, Pune and Nagpur. Parts of Pune and Mumbai witnessed protesters stopping the traffic on roads.

The bandh, called by Dalit organisations to protest the clashes at the bicentenary celebrations of the battle of Bhima-Koregaon, is being supported by Maratha groups and Left parties.

The authorities suspended the services of the AC local in Mumbai in view of the ongoing protests. Other suburban services are being run amid intermittent protests at Elphinstone Road, Goregaon, Dadar, Malad. Services of Central Railways on the Main and Harbour lines were hit. There was no cancellation of long distance trains, reports said.

Mumbai Police asks commuters to avoid Worli Naka, asks them to use Worli Sea Face Road instead. Several other traffic diversions were also reported.

Two Thane Municipal Transport buses and an auto-rickshaw were vandalized in Chendani Koliwada area, with four passengers injured.

Thirteen buses of the civic transport service 'BEST' were 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) told the PTI.

The city had witnessed a major disruption of road traffic owing to protests in the eastern suburbs on Tuesday.

Police tried to disperse mobs that gathered at Nallasopara railway station on the Western line of the Mumbai suburban train line. Mumbail police said on Twitter that the Eastern freeway traffic has been affected due to road blockade at Panjrapol junction and has suggested that users avoid it till the situation calms.

In Pune, shops were being forcibly shut down by protesters at a number of points around Chinchwad, Bhosari and Nigdi areas.

In Nagpur, there was tension as protesters targetted police vehicles in Indora and North Nagpur areas which are considered to be Dalit-dominated localities. Protesters were shouting slogans against RSS.

Police lathicharged protesters in the Sitaburdi area. Except Wardha Road, all roads in Nagpur witnessed protests.