Mumbai's railway line remains unaffected

Mumbai: Mumbai’s lifeline – the suburban railway - remained largely unaffected amidst the Bharat Bandh called for on Monday by the Congress and other opposition parties to protest escalating fuel prices and the falling rupee.

There was a rail roko demonstration at Dadar and Andheri railway stations in the morning but suburban trains became fully operational aft-er an initial delay of 15 to 20 minutes. Local trains on all three lines- Western, Central and Harbour – ran without any change in slated timings and routes. Several Congress workers, while chanting slogans against the Prime Minister and rising fuel prices, got down on the railways tracks at Dadar and Andheri stations.

“The protestors sat on the railway tracks and were chanting slogans against the rising fuel prices. The police removed them from the tracks and from outside the station,” said Neha Goswami, a commuter.

Meanwhile CPRO Ravindra Bhaikar said, “Protesters were immediately removed from Dadar and Andheri stations within 30 minutes of the protest, after which, the trains were running on time.”

Mumbai Congress chief Sanjay Nirupam, along with Maharashtra Congress president Ashok Chavan, staged a protest outside the Andheri station bus stop, before the rail roko agitation at the station. Both were arrested and taken to D.N. Nagar police station.