Nagpur: Frayed tempers were witnessed in Nagpur and other districts of Vidarbha amid the Maharashtra Bandh call given by Dalit leaders to protest the violence over the bicentennial celebration of Bhima-Koregaon battle, reports said.
Except medical services and chemist shops, several other markets and most schools in Nagpur remained closed with protest marches taken out in many sensitive areas. Followers of Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar took out marches from morning itself and appealed the shopkeepers to pull shutters down.
At many places, the traders kept their establishments closed on their own. At some places, tension prevailed as groups of marchers pelted stones and resorted to ‘Rasta Roka.’
Protesters set tyres on fire on roads at some places. Tight security arrangements have been made across the city.
The Kalamna market wore a deserted look as many retail vendors avoided it. No lifting of vegetables caused a slump in prices by 15 percent or so. Managements of several schools decided to keep their institutions closed for safety point of view.
Commuters were stranded at many places due to less number of auto-rickshaws and other transport in Nagpur. City and ST buses were off the roads. Police appealed organisers of protest marches not to block roads, and hand over their memorandums of demands to police stations in the area.
In Chandrapur district, total bandh was observed at Bhadravati. Hundreds of passengers were stranded at Mul Bus Stand. Bandh was observed at Sindewahi and Nagbhid also.
Bhim Sainiks at Navegaon Bandh took out a peaceful rally. Total bandh was witnessed in Desaiganj and Kurkheda of Gadchiroli district. In Amravati district, the bandh received good response at Daryapur and Tiwsa towns. Petrol pumps were closed here. Bhim Sainiks took out marches at various areas of Yavatmal.
