Bharat Bandh highlights: Action against Kerala govt employees who abstain from work to take part in strike

After getting pulled up by Kerala high court on its employees participating in the ongoing two-day nationwide strike, state government said on Monday that “disciplinary proceedings” will be initiated against workers who abstain from work for taking part in the Bharat Bandh.

Kerala high court on Monday barred state government employees from taking part in the two-day nationwide strike currently underway, saying they don't come under the umbrella of workers and their participation in the strike is against service rules. Read more

Union minister V Muraleedheeran on Monday targeted Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan and his government for supporting the two-day Bharat Bandh. 

Essential services in Kerala including milk, newspapers, hospitals, ambulances were not affected due to the ongoing bandh. 

Commuters in different cities of Tamil Nadu complained on Monday that auto drivers are charging exorbitant fares amid as majority of bus services across the state were not in operation due to the two-day Bharat Bandh. 

Banking services in Puducherry have been partially affected due to the two-day Bharat Bandh. Schools and government offices were functioning normally in the Union Territory and bus services were plying as usual. 

Public transport services have been affected in Haryana as Roadways employees joined the protests against government policies. 

The Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh, a trade union affiliated with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), has refused to participate in the two-day bandh, by saying that the strike is politically motivated. 

The Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM) said on Monday that farmers will actively participate in the two-day Bharat Bandh to protest against government policies. 

The Maha Vikas Aghadi government in Maharashtra has invoked the Maharashtra Essential Services Maintenance Act (MESMA), barring state-run electricity companies employees from joining the protests during the two-day Bharat Bandh. 

State government sources told news agency PTI on Sunday that electricity consumption in Maharashtra has already gone up t and there is a shortage of coal as well. They added that organising protests at this point of time will lead to inconvenience to farmers, industries and the general public. 

Public sector banks in the national capital are closed on the first day of the nationwide bandh. 

The first-day of the Bharat Bandh is being observed across the country on Monday and Tuesday. This is the first major strike after the recently concluded assembly elections in five states and the year long farmers' agitation against the Centre's farm laws. Read more

Amid the ongoing session of Parliament, CPI(M) MP Bikashranjan Bhattacharyya has moved the motion for suspension of business in Rajya Sabha under Rule 267 to discuss the issue of the Bharat Bandh.

Residents of Thiruvananthapuram woke up to empty streets on Monday as Kerala is observing the two-day nationwide bandh. 

Roadways and transport workers will also join the protests today and transport services across India might be affected. 

Several trades unions in India, which have called the two-day bandh to protest against government policies, have demanded scrapping the proposed changes in labour laws, hike in wages under MGNREGA, regularisation of contract workers among others. 

Bank employees are expected to join the protests against government policies due to which banking services might be hit during the 2-day Bharat Bandh. 

The All India Bank Employees Association, which is the country's oldest and largest trade union of bank employees, said it will Bandh to protest against several issues including increased unemployment, reduced wages, privatisation of public sector banks etc. 

The Trinamool Congress (TMC) led government in West Bengal has said that all government offices in the state will remain open during the Bandh. 

"In view of calls given by different trade unions and others for a 48 hours' nationwide strike/bandh on March 28 and 29, 2022, it has been decided that all state government offices including those provided with Grants-in-Aid by the state government shall remain open and all the employees shall report for duty on those days," the government said in a statement on Saturday. 

A two-day bharat bandh to protest against government policies affecting affecting workers, farmers, and people will start from Monday.