Mumbai, Jan 3: Normal life was disrupted on Tuesday as protests spread across Mumbai due to clashes between the Dalit and Maratha communities, a day after caste-based violence during the celebration of the 200th anniversary of the Bhima Koregaon battle in Pune. Following the clashes between Dalit and Maratha communities and protests thereafter, traffic came to a standstill on Eastern expressway, Sion-Panvel Highway and Chembur Naka were worst affected, shops were shut down in many regions of Mumbai as protesters stopped traffic.
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LIVE UPDATES OF MUMBAI LOCAL TRAIN STATUS AND TRAFFIC JAMS
10:52 AM: While local train services in many parts of the city have resumed, disruption is witnessed at Nallasopara railway station.
10:46 AM: A large number of Dalit protesters are staging a Rail roko at Nallasopara station. They have occupied the railway tracks, disrupting rail traffic. The Western Railways have said that the administration and security forces are making all efforts to normalise the train operations.
10:44 AM: Commuters in Mumbai have been left stranded due to less number of auto-rickshaws and other transport in Mumbai. “We are supporting this bandh only because we are scared of our loss. They can vandalize anything here,” a Mulund driver was quoted as saying by ANI.
10:43 AM: Protesters halt buses, auto-rickshaws at Lal Bahadur Shastri Road in Thane. They have also attempted to deflate bus tires.
10:17 AM: Inter state bus services from Karnataka-Maharashtra temporarily suspended as a precautionary measure in view of the Bhima Koregaon violence in the state.
10:15 AM: Bus services have been affected in Aurangabad. Internet services have also been suspended in Aurangabad.
10:00 AM: Trains are running normally in Pune division.
9:45 AM: Autos, that usually storm Bandra Kurla Complex, could be seen empty.
9:28 AM: Train services have resumed in Virar. The protesters staged a rail roko at the Virar railway station for an hour.
9:19 AM: The protesters have stopped local trains at Virar.
8:52 AM: A rail roko was staged by some of the protesters at the Thane railway station but were immediately cleared by RPF and GRP officials. “Services are running uninterrupted on Central Railway as of now” says CPRO Central Railway.
8:45 AM: The trains are running fine and at their respective timings, a Twitter user reported. A rail roko protest was earlier reported at the Thane station.
8:38 AM
8:35 AM: The trains and bus services are not expected to run normally due to Maharashtra Bandh today. The protesters have stopped the Mumbai local at the Thane station.
8:29 AM: The protesters have halted a train in Thane railway station. Section 144 has been imposed in Thane till January 4 midnight due to protests.
8:21 AM: The protesters are staging a ‘Rail Roko’ at the Thane station.
7:58 AM: Mumbai Local trains have been stopped from Thane platform no 2, a Twitter user reported.
Mumbai local trains were halted due to protests over Bhima Koregaon violence. The central railway suspended suburban services between Kurla and Vashi and ran special services between CSMT-Kurla and Vashi-Panvel section. By the late evening, CSMT-Panvel harbour line services were restored. Central Railway’s Sunil Udasi said the protestors stobbed the suburban services as they came out on tracks even though the railways have nothing to do with the incident. (Also Read: Bhima Koregaon Clashes: Check Mumbai Local Train Status on Harbour Line, Road Traffic Jams in Chembur, Mulund, Sion Amid Protests)
The maximum impact likely to be seen in eastern suburbs of Ghatkopar, Chembur, Tilak Nagar, Mulund area. In western suburbs, Bandra, Kherwadi, and Dahisar are likely to be affected most. Worli, Dadar, Sion area in the island city are also affected. The Maharashtra Bandh protest is likely to pick up after 10 AM and up to 3 PM.
The protests across Mumbai, over the clashes during Bhima Koregaon battle celebrations, resulted in massive vehicular snarls. However, the local trains and traffic movement resumed after Mumbai Police intervened. Low-cost carrier IndiGo also issued an advisory which said, “Request you to please plan your travel in advance to avoid any hassles while boarding. We’ll be providing change and cancellation fee waiver for flights to and from Mumbai for Tuesday and Wednesday.”
Similar agitation was staged in Ahmednagar, Jalgaon, Dhule, Beed, Nashik, Pune, Solapur, Thane and Palghar. The protesters, including women and children, staged a rasta roko in Koregaon-Bhima on the Ahmednagar road. The protesters also stopped traffic on Sion-Panvel Highway. Till 7:30 PM in the evening, Ramabai Ambedkar Nagar was kept blocked by the protesters. The police have been deployed in the Ramabai area in view of the protests across the city.