Bharat Bandh: Congress leaders Sanjay Nirupam, Ashok Chavan arrested in Mumbai after staging 'rail-roko' at Andheri station

Mumbai Congress chief Sanjay Nirupam along with Maharashtra Congress president Ashok Chavan were arrested on Monday morning at the Andheri railway station after staging a ‘rail-roko’ agitation. Chavan and Nirupam led thousands of activists to stage a noisy protest outside the Andheri station bus depot, after which they got down on the railway tracks, shouting anti-government slogans. The duo have reportedly been taken to DN Nagar Police Station.

MRCC President @sanjaynirupam along with Congress Volunteers on the tracks of Andheri Station agitating against#FuelLoot by Modi Govt #BharatBandh #MehangiPadiModiSarkar pic.twitter.com/uQwrKgyMqY

— Mumbai Congress (@INCMumbai) September 10, 2018

Several leaders including former ministers Naseem Khan, Manikrao Thakre, Suresh Shetty, also joined the agitation as police maintained strict security at Andheri. However, suburban trains, BEST buses, schools and colleges functioned normally in Mumbai, though shops and commercial establishments downed shutters in many localities. Raj Thackeray-led Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) activists also led aggressive protests in Mumbai, Thane, Palghar, Pune, Nashik and others areas of the state. Ahead of his arrest on Monday morning, Nirupam had tweeted that there was a heavy police bandobast outside his house stating that he still managed to leave. He had also claimed that the police was detaining Congress workers since early morning. He tweeted:

Dear Mumbai Police No use of ur bandobast at my residence anymore . Got out of house despite ur tamasha. Stop checking my building's cctv unit.#BharatBandh

— Sanjay Nirupam (@sanjaynirupam) September 10, 2018

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Huge police bandobast at my residence. Workers are being picked up since early morning #BharatBandh

— Sanjay Nirupam (@sanjaynirupam) September 10, 2018

A united Opposition, led by Congress president Rahul Gandhi, on Monday staged a foot march in Delhi in support of a nationwide shutdown or ‘Bharat Bandh’ called by his party against rising fuel prices. The 1.8-kilometre march was held between Rajghat and Zakir Husain College in the national capital. Fuel prices continued its northward march on Monday with petrol and diesel being sold at Rs 80.73 and Rs 72.83 per litre in the national capital. The petrol and diesel prices saw a hike of 23 and 22 paise per litre respectively in Delhi. On the other hand, Mumbai is affected the most with the hike as petrol and diesel are being sold at Rs 88.12 and Rs 77.32 per litre. Janata Dal-Secular (JD-S), Trinamool Congress, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), Loktantrik Janata Dal (LJD), Rashtriya Lok Dal, All India United Democratic Front, Revolutionary Socialist Party and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) were among the opposition parties that participated in protest. “The runaway prices of fuel and the free fall in the value of the Rupee shows that the Modi government has completely failed in managing the economy,” the Congress had tweeted earlier in the day. Follow LIVE updates on Bharat Bandh today here With inputs from agencies