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Bandh call evokes good response in Maharashtra

Vaibhav Purandare in Mumbai

Maharashtra witnessed a successful, but largely incident-free bandh on Friday following the strike call given by Vishwa Hindu Parishad to protest the gruesome Godhra incident.

Mumbai, centre of Indian economy, came to a standstill despite the absence of Shiv Sena's active involvement in the bandh.

Obviously unhappy at the apparent attempt to challenge its monopoly over bandhs in the megapolis, the Sena had extended only 'moral support' to the VHP bandh.

BJP activists, though, were seen actively enforcing the bandh.

Other cities and townships in the state like Pune, Nashik, Aurangabad, Ahmednagar, Amravati, Nagpur, Satara, Sangli, Kolhapur, Solapur and Ratnagiri too saw near-zero activity during the 12-hour bandh [that began 6 am], excepting stray incidents of stone-throwing.

The response to the bandh from every part of the state -- Konkan, Marathwada, northern Maharashtra, western Maharashtra and Vidarbha -- was near-complete.

A total of 1,400 persons were detained by police in various parts of the state for stone-throwing, forcing commuters off municipal transport buses and holding rasta and rail rokos.

Suburban train services in Mumbai came to a halt early morning when VHP-Bajrang Dal activists held rail rokos at suburban stations beyond Andheri on Western Railway and beyond Kurla on the Central line.

BEST buses in the city plied till afternoon but were then taken off the roads due to incidents of stone-throwing.

A total of 122 stone-throwing incidents were reported in Mumbai, with 21 persons sustaining minor injuries, including 11 BEST personnel (drivers and conductors).

The impact of the bandh, though, was not at all felt in Muslim-dominated areas of the city like Null Bazaar and Bhendi Bazaar. Everyday bustle and activity continued unhindered in these places.

Sangli witnessed a tension-filled bandh, with the VHP taking out a procession in this prosperous sugar-belt town that had witnessed communal violence three months ago.

The VHP took out a procession in Amravati too.

In Pune, buses were emptied of commuters by angry mobs. In Aurangabad, Parbhani, Nanded, and Hingoli too, local transport was disrupted by bandh-enforcing elements. In Ratnagiri, some shopkeepers were forced to down shutters.

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