Bharat Bandh: BEST buses pelted with stones in Mumbai

Mumbai, May 31: Bandh supporters pelted

at buses in two suburban areas of the city, Pune, Nagpur and Thane district and stopped some buses by blocking roads in Satara district of Western Maharashtra as the

called by

to protest the petrol price hike began today.

In the financial capital, BEST buses were pelted with stones in suburban Mulund and Dadar. BJP activists staged noisy protests outside Borivali station, at SV Road in Kandivali and also in suburban Chembur. Local trains and buses were plying as usual in most parts of the city. However, transport was hit in Mulund, Dadar, Worli and Currey Road areas due stone pelting on BEST buses.

The Eastern Expressway, the arterial road which connects suburbs to Mumbai saw less traffic than usual as some of the office goers preferred to stay home in view of the bandh. Taxis and auto rickshaws were plying normally. However, leaders of taxi and rickshaw unions have announced that they will take vehicles off the roads in case of any untoward incident.

The dabbawalas, who supply tiffin to office goers have also taken a day off.

In Pune, protestors damaged 13 Pune Municipal transport buses while stone pelting was reported on 10 buses in Nagpur and one bus in neighbouring Thane district. In Satara, western Maharashtra, activists stopped some buses by blocking roads as part of the bandh.

Meanwhile, the Mumbai University has announced that there will no change in its exam schedule for today irrespective of the nationwide bandh.

Home Minister RR Patil said the government will take stringent action against those creating nuisance during the bandh and has also asked police officials to deal sternly with incidents of violence during the bandh.

PTI