Mumbai and Maharashtra badly hit

Maharashtra may be ruled by a Congress-led coalition but the effects of the nationwide agitation called by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) against the fuel price hike had its worst effects in the state and its financial capital Mumbai.

With the BJP, Shiv Sena, Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS), Republican Party of India (RPI) and Samajwadi Party protesting over the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government's hike in fuel prices, most of Mumbai decided to stay home rather than face the wrath of party workers. All shops and markets remained shut though essential services such as water, electricity and milk supply remained unaffected.

School and college authorities urged students to stay home though many officegoers ventured to work. Chief Minister Ashok Chavan had asked government employees to come to work, but there were more policemen than employees at the state assembly.

Trains were delayed after BJP workers held a ‘rail roko' or stop the rail agitation at Borivili, Mulund, Ghatkopar and other railway stations while public buses reported nearly 100 incidents of stone-throwing. The bus authorities said seven drivers, two bus conductors and one inspector were injured in the incidents. Roads remained deserted and quiet in the morning. Air traffic also took a hit as 46 arrivals and 47 departures were cancelled along with one Air India Mumbai-Delhi-Hong Kong flight due to low passenger traffic.

Mumbai airport which handles over 600 flights day had only 139 arrivals and 170 departures Monday. Airport authorities arranged public buses to ferry 764 passengers from the domestic and 1,129 passengers from the international airport to various destinations, apart from using its own coaches since pre-paid taxis had joined the strike. Passengers were also stranded at rail and bus terminals since there were no taxis or autos to ferry them home. Sena and BJP workers went on a rampage across several districts with many of their leaders, including former Maharashtra chief minister Manohar Joshi, BJP leaders Gopinath Munde and Kirit Somaiya getting arrested in Mumbai. Sena workers also blocked traffic on the Mumbai-Pune Expressway at Khandala. Almost all the districts in Vidarbha region felt the impact of the strike since schools, colleges, markets and industries were closed.