M'rashtra bandh hits life in India's financial capital

Life  in Mumbai was disrupted on Wednesday as the day-long Maharashtra bandh called by various Dalit, Left and progressive organisations had its bearing  on India's financial capital.

Agitators squatted on arterial roads like the Eastern Express Highway and Western Express Highway and along the railway tracks in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region.

The situation is still tense, police officers said.   People squatted along the railway tracks at Virar, Nalasopara and Goregaon on the Western Railway and Ambernath, Diva, Titwala and Thane on the Central Railway.

There were protests near Govandi station of the Harbour line.

As a precautionary measure, services of some of the newly introduced AC locals were cancelled.

Metro services between Andheri-Ghatkopar were affected because of the agitation.

Government and private buses and other vehicles were stoned in Mumbai and elsewhere in the state.

Protesters staged a rasta roko at Bandra Kalanagar, Dharavi Kumbharwada, Kamraj Nagar, Santoshnagar Dindoshi, Hanuman Nagar and Kandivali.  

Shops in Mumbai's suburbs remained closed. Several multiplexes, cinema halls, malls and stores, too, downed their shutters.  

Protests were also reported from Dadar and Worli areas of Mumbai. Several people who were to supposed to catch flights from the  city's airport had to cancel their plans.