Bharat Bandh: Congress-led opposition bandh begins with protests and trains blockades against the steep rise in petrol and diesel prices

In the protest of fuel price hike, Congress has called the Bharat Bandh today in the country. Earlier, Congress has clearly stated that the bandh will be violence free but the bandh begins with the protest marches and train blockades in several parts of the country on Monday.

20 other political parties, including the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) and the Samajwadi Party (SP), have extended their support to the Congress party against the fuel price hike.

However, Congress, CPI and CPM workers held marches in Andhra Pradesh’s Vijayawada and Visakhapatnam. While in Telangana, Congress members also held protests in Yadadri Bhuvanagiri district’s Bhongir and Musheerabad bus depot in Hyderabad.

While in Odisha capital Bhubaneswar, grand old party’s activist also held a protest and also blocked a train in Sambalpur.

Also, bus services of North Eastern Karnataka Road Transport Corporation (NEKRTC) were also shut down today.

While the Mumbai Congress unit chief Sanjay Nirupam and other followers were also detained by police.

In Delhi, Sonia Gandhi and former prime minister Manmohan Singh join Congress-led opposition parties supported bandh against fuel price hike. 

Security has been tightened in Jaipur over #BharatBandh. Police says, "Precautionary measures have been taken. Police have been directed to take stringent actions against the protesters who will restore to violence during protests.

Protesters in Gujarat's Bharuch burn tyres and stop buses; traffic movement halted.

Fuel prices have been witnessing a hike in several states across the country over the past few weeks, burning a hole in the pocket of common man. The Indian rupee is also facing a decline in its value against the US dollar.