The Pune bandh called on Tuesday by various opposition parties and social outfits including the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), Shiv Sena (UBT) and Sambhaji Brigade drew moderate response as several establishments remained closed and the Pune Mahanagar Parivahan Mahamandal Limited (PMPML), too, anticipating violence, decided not to run buses on certain routes.
Most shops, markets and commercial establishments and some schools and colleges preferred to remain closed. After the bandh ended at 3 pm, most markets and shops across the city reopened.
The Pune Traders’ Union, which includes those selling groceries and other items, supported the bandh. Members of the union said that they would keep establishments closed till 3 pm. Nitin Pandit, president, Tulshibaug Market Shop Owners’ Association, said, “There was a complete bandh here at Tulshibaug market, which is one of the major markets in Pune city. We had supported the bandh as no one will accept derogatory statements about our national idols, and it is also necessary and the responsibility of every political party and organisation to be more responsible while speaking on a public forum.”
Fatehchand Ranka, president, Federation of Traders’ Associations of Pune (FATP), said, “Our association had extended full support to today’s bandh and accordingly, we kept shops across the city closed till 3 pm. After the bandh timing, eventually, the shops started opening in the evening. All our association members across Pune city kept their shops closed in support of the bandh.”
{{/usCountry}}Fatehchand Ranka, president, Federation of Traders’ Associations of Pune (FATP), said, “Our association had extended full support to today’s bandh and accordingly, we kept shops across the city closed till 3 pm. After the bandh timing, eventually, the shops started opening in the evening. All our association members across Pune city kept their shops closed in support of the bandh.”
{{/usCountry}}Whereas schools and colleges along with government offices remained open during morning hours. Whereas some prominent schools and colleges preferred to remain closed to avoid any inconvenience to their students.
Separately, auto-rickshaws remained off the streets for the second consecutive day on Tuesday as part of their indefinite strike against bike-taxis. The situation was further complicated for commuters arriving from other cities as public transport body, PMPML, in anticipation of violence, decided not to run buses on certain routes. Dattatray Zende, traffic manager, PMPML, said, “We have decided not to run buses in the central parts for a few hours in the morning as political parties have planned a protest march. By afternoon, we will revisit the situation and take a call”.
Several commuters were severely inconvenienced as PMPML buses too were not running in some parts of the city in addition to the ongoing strike by auto-rickshaw unions. “I had to reach office in Hadapsar but the auto-rickshaws and PMPML buses were both not plying on the streets. Finally, I had to reach office in my colleague’s private vehicle,” said Shreya Gandhi, an engineer working with a road infrastructure firm.
The Pune bandh had been called to protest Maharashtra governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari’s controversial remarks about Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. Apart from political parties, other outfits such as the Maratha Mahasangh and some Muslim organisations too extended their support to the bandh. NCP Pune president Prashant Jagtap said, “The remarks made by Koshyari and others are an insult to Maharashtra. All parties, except the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), have supported the bandh.”