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Bharat Bandh updates: Violence, arson across Bengal; Delhi, Mumbai remain largely unaffected

By Anuj Cariappa

| Updated: Saturday, January 18, 2020, 9:55 [IST]

New Delhi, Jan 08: The 24-hour nationwide strike by central trade unions in West Bengal on Wednesday was marked by incidents of violence and arson, blocking of railway tracks and roads by protestors trying to enforce the shut down, officials said.

The protesters also blocked a major road at Sujapur in Malda district, torched several vehicles including a police van, ransacked government buses and set fire to tyres. Railway track was partially blocked in Amritsar.

Trade unions INTUC, AITUC, HMS, CITU, AIUTUC, TUCC, SEWA, AICCTU, LPF, UTUC along with various sectoral independent federations and associations had adopted a declaration in September last to go on a nationwide strike on January 8, 2020.

Bharat Bandh LIVE: 25 crore people set to participate

Here are the Highlights:

Newest First Oldest First

9:55 AM, 18 Jan

The United Forum of Bank Unions (UFBU), which represents nine trade unions has decided to observe 2 days strike on 31st January and 1st February 2020 and 3 days strike on 11th, 12th and 13th March 2020.

9:55 AM, 18 Jan

UFBU is seeking at least a 15-per cent hike, but the IBA has capped the raise at 12.25 per cent, he said. "This is not acceptable," Siddartha Khan said.

6:32 PM, 8 Jan

Production at Honda Motorcycle and Scooter India's (HMSI) Manesar plant in Haryana, Bajaj Auto's Chakan unit and factories of various auto component makers was hit on Wednesday by the day-long strike called by 10 major trade unions against the Centre's "anti-people" policies. The strike, however, had no impact on production of auto majors Maruti Suzuki India, Hero MotoCorp, Honda Cars India, Mahindra & Mahindra, Tata Motors and Hyundai Motors India as their plants in various parts of the country functioned normally.

4:03 PM, 8 Jan

Trade unions held protests in Shimla and other parts of Himachal Pradesh in response to the nationwide strike call despite heavy snowfall and rain. In Shimla, trade unions led by CITU State President Vijendra Mehra held protest at Panchayat Bhawan.

2:59 PM, 8 Jan

Protesters in Bengal's Malda have set the police vehicles afire during Bharat Bandh.

1:32 PM, 8 Jan

As many as 42 trains have been cancelled from Howrah till now.

1:29 PM, 8 Jan

The countrywide strike by trade unions evoked little response in Uttarakhand on Wednesday even as their affiliates staged a dharna at the inter-state bus terminal.

12:41 PM, 8 Jan

Normal life was hit in Assam as vehicles remained off the roads and markets were shut due to the strike called by trade unions against "anti- people" policies of the Centre.

12:40 PM, 8 Jan

The strike has not disrupted normal life in Tamil Nadu so far, although banking services have been partially hit. Bus services and road transport were not affected.

12:34 PM, 8 Jan

Protesters block a railway track in Amritsar during Bharat Bandh call by ten trade unions.

12:18 PM, 8 Jan

A clash erupted allegedly between Trinamool Congress (TMC) and Students' Federation of India (SFI) workers in Burdwan during the Bharat Bandh called by ten trade Unions against 'anti-worker policies of Central Government'.

12:14 PM, 8 Jan

Most markets, shops and business establishments were closed in the state and most private and passenger vehicles remained off the roads.

12:13 PM, 8 Jan

The nationwide strike has affected normal life in Tripura.

11:45 AM, 8 Jan

Employees of public sector banks joined the strike, impacting banking services in the region.

11:44 AM, 8 Jan

Several outfits of public sector banks, roadways, post office and farmers in Punjab and Haryana joined the one-day nationwide strike call given by 10 central trade unions to protest against the government's "anti-people" policies.

11:36 AM, 8 Jan

Usual traffic was seen on the main thoroughfares of the state capital and shops and business establishments opened at their usual time.

11:36 AM, 8 Jan

The nationwide strike called by trade unions on Wednesday evoked a lukewarm response in Lucknow as life was normal during morning hours.

11:35 AM, 8 Jan

In Chennai, where the ruling AIADMK is not supporting the protest, several protesters were detained when they tried to block roads.

11:25 AM, 8 Jan

In Kerala a protest march underway in Thiruvananthapuram.

10:51 AM, 8 Jan

State Government supports today's Bharat Bandh call of different trade unions, Govt at the Centre is an anti-labour Govt, says Maharashtra PWD Minister Ashok Chavan.

10:43 AM, 8 Jan

In Kolkata, Metro services were normal in the city and auto-rickshaws and taxis were also seen on the roads.

10:31 AM, 8 Jan

The Shiv Sena today extended its support to trade unions'' ''Bharat Bandh'' call and slammed the central government for its policies and decisions.

9:33 AM, 8 Jan

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday blamed the "anti-people, anti-labour policies of the Modi-Shah government."

The Modi-Shah Govt’s anti people, anti labour policies have created catastrophic unemployment & are weakening our PSUs to justify their sale to Modi’s crony capitalist friends.

Today, over 25 crore 🇮🇳workers have called for #BharatBandh2020 in protest.

I salute them.
— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) January 8, 2020

9:19 AM, 8 Jan

A KSRTC bus has been damaged due to stone-pelting in Madikeri, Karnataka.

8:37 AM, 8 Jan

A North Bengal State Transport Corporation(NBSTC) bus driver wears a helmet in wake of protests during Bharat Bandh called by ten trade unions against 'anti-worker policies of Central Govt'.

8:03 AM, 8 Jan

The CPI has urged the people to join the strike.

8:03 AM, 8 Jan

The government has told its employees that it would face consequences it it took part in the strike.

8:01 AM, 8 Jan

In Kerala, the trade unions exempted the state's tourism sector from Wednesday's general strike.

8:00 AM, 8 Jan

Protesters in West Bengal block railway track in Howrah.

6:19 AM, 8 Jan

"We expect participation of not less than 25 crores of working people in the forthcoming National General Strike on January 8, 2020, to be followed by many more actions seeking reversal of the anti-worker, anti-people, anti-national policies of the Government.

6:18 AM, 8 Jan

Joint platform of more than 175 farmers and agricultural workers unions will extend its support to workers' demands and observe January 8 as Gramin Bharat Bandh along with their charter of demands, they added.

6:18 AM, 8 Jan

The unions are also against privatisation in railways, corporatisation of 49 defence production units and forced merger of banks.

6:18 AM, 8 Jan

"As many as 12 airports are already sold out to private hands, 100 per cent sale of Air India is already decided, decision to sell BPCL taken, BSNL-MTNL merger announced and 93,600 telecom workers already thrown out of jobs under the garb of VRS (voluntary retirement scheme)," it added.

6:18 AM, 8 Jan

The unions also expressed displeasure over no Indian Labour Conference being held since July 2015, the codification of labour laws and privatisation of PSUs.

6:18 AM, 8 Jan

The trade unions condemned the JNU violence and similar incidents in other university campuses and expressed their solidarity with students and teachers all over India.

6:19 AM, 8 Jan

About 60 organisations of students and elected office-bearers of some universities have also decided to join the strike with an agenda to raise voice against increased fee structure and commercialisation of education, it said.

6:19 AM, 8 Jan

"The Ministry of Labour has failed to assure on any of the demands of workers which called a meeting on January 2, 2020. The attitude of the government is that of contempt towards labour as we construe from its policies and actions," the 10 central trade unions (CTUs) said in a joint statement.

6:19 AM, 8 Jan

8:00 AM, 8 Jan

Protesters in West Bengal block railway track in Howrah.

8:01 AM, 8 Jan

In Kerala, the trade unions exempted the state's tourism sector from Wednesday's general strike.

8:03 AM, 8 Jan

The government has told its employees that it would face consequences it it took part in the strike.

8:03 AM, 8 Jan

The CPI has urged the people to join the strike.

8:37 AM, 8 Jan

A North Bengal State Transport Corporation(NBSTC) bus driver wears a helmet in wake of protests during Bharat Bandh called by ten trade unions against 'anti-worker policies of Central Govt'.

9:19 AM, 8 Jan

A KSRTC bus has been damaged due to stone-pelting in Madikeri, Karnataka.

9:33 AM, 8 Jan

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday blamed the "anti-people, anti-labour policies of the Modi-Shah government."

The Modi-Shah Govt’s anti people, anti labour policies have created catastrophic unemployment & are weakening our PSUs to justify their sale to Modi’s crony capitalist friends.

Today, over 25 crore 🇮🇳workers have called for #BharatBandh2020 in protest.

I salute them.
— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) January 8, 2020

10:31 AM, 8 Jan

The Shiv Sena today extended its support to trade unions'' ''Bharat Bandh'' call and slammed the central government for its policies and decisions.

10:43 AM, 8 Jan

In Kolkata, Metro services were normal in the city and auto-rickshaws and taxis were also seen on the roads.

10:51 AM, 8 Jan

State Government supports today's Bharat Bandh call of different trade unions, Govt at the Centre is an anti-labour Govt, says Maharashtra PWD Minister Ashok Chavan.

11:25 AM, 8 Jan

In Kerala a protest march underway in Thiruvananthapuram.

11:35 AM, 8 Jan

In Chennai, where the ruling AIADMK is not supporting the protest, several protesters were detained when they tried to block roads.

11:36 AM, 8 Jan

The nationwide strike called by trade unions on Wednesday evoked a lukewarm response in Lucknow as life was normal during morning hours.

11:36 AM, 8 Jan

Usual traffic was seen on the main thoroughfares of the state capital and shops and business establishments opened at their usual time.

11:44 AM, 8 Jan

11:45 AM, 8 Jan

Employees of public sector banks joined the strike, impacting banking services in the region.

12:13 PM, 8 Jan

The nationwide strike has affected normal life in Tripura.

12:14 PM, 8 Jan

Most markets, shops and business establishments were closed in the state and most private and passenger vehicles remained off the roads.

12:18 PM, 8 Jan

12:34 PM, 8 Jan

Protesters block a railway track in Amritsar during Bharat Bandh call by ten trade unions.

12:40 PM, 8 Jan

The strike has not disrupted normal life in Tamil Nadu so far, although banking services have been partially hit. Bus services and road transport were not affected.

12:41 PM, 8 Jan

Normal life was hit in Assam as vehicles remained off the roads and markets were shut due to the strike called by trade unions against "anti- people" policies of the Centre.