Koregaon Bhima violence: School buses won't run in Mumbai on Wednesday

Dalit groups have called for Maharashtra bandh on Wednesday to protest the state government's "failure" to stop the violence. Photos: PTI

New Delhi: Dalit groups led protests in parts of Mumbai on Tuesday after riots in Pune left one person dead yesterday. The protest march in Chembur this morning also turned violent as angry protesters resorted to stone pelting and sloganeering against Modi government. Protesters affiliated to various political groups staged a rail roko in Chembur while traffic at several key junctions were halted. Slow moving traffic was observed on the Eastern Express Highway. There's heavy police deployment in other parts of Mumbai as well. The city police has urged citizens not to believe in rumours. ALSO READ: All you need to know about 1818 Bhima Koregaon Battle Meanwhile, buses were also vandalised in Hadapsar, Fursungi. All bus services to Ahmednagar, Aurangabad suspended, reported news agency ANI in the afternoon. The situation in Bhima Koregaon village where the violence first erupted is said to be normal. The event was to mark 200th anniversary of the Bhima Koregaon battle in Pune district, in which forces of the East India Company defeated Peshwa's army. Dalit groups have called for Maharashtra bandh tomorrow. All that happened on Tuesday: 

Mumbai school bus association not to run school buses tomorrow as a precautionary measure but Govt has not declared any holiday. @abpnewstv

— Umesh kumawat (@umeshk73) January 2, 2018

• The equality-based Constitution envisaged by Bhimrao Ambedkar is under attack today: Mayawati
• Domestic carriers including government-owned Air India have waived charges for ticket cancellations and no show due to the ongoing unrest in parts of Maharashtra. Air India said it will not charge any fee for cancellation of tickets or rescheduling of a journey to/from Mumbai on January 2 and January 3. However, private carrier Jet Airways and IndiGo provided the waiver to their customers only for today.
• #Maharashtra government must ensure rule of law. I appeal to the people of Maharashtra to maintain peace, tweets Dalit leader and #Gujarat MLA Jignesh Mewani
• Due to certain agitations, traffic congestion is reported on Eastern Express Highway (at Ramabai Ambedkar Nagar, Cheda Nagar and Kamraj Nagar), Sion Panvel Road at Chembur Naka,JVLR near Powai, tweets Mumbai Police
• A central pillar of the RSS/BJP’s fascist vision for India is that Dalits should remain at the bottom of Indian society. Una, Rohith Vemula and now Bhima-Koregaon are potent symbols of the resistance: Congress President Rahul Gandhi

Effigies burnt by Dalit protesters in Kamraj nagar near #Chembur https://t.co/ltXO0PIGSJ pic.twitter.com/m9I44Uivzj — ABP News (@abpnewstv) January 2, 2018

• Special train services being run on Harbour line between CSMT-Kurla and Mankhurd. All other services on Central Railway running normally

Maharashtra: Republican Party of India workers protest in Thane #BhimaKoregaonViolence pic.twitter.com/v9mMS2APNR — ANI (@ANI) January 2, 2018

Mumbai: Massive traffic jam at Eastern Express Highway #Chembur pic.twitter.com/mEeN1mQHlw — ABP News (@abpnewstv) January 2, 2018

• Dalit groups have called for Maharashtra bandh tomorrow.

 

Don’t believe in rumours. Traffic on Eastern expressway was affected due to protests. It’s moving now. Traffic at Chembur Naka is still affected. There is nothing to panic. Verify facts with police officers and men before posting anything on social media. — Mumbai Police (@MumbaiPolice) January 2, 2018

Instances of stone pelting and window bashing also reported. Avoid travelling through these routes for a few hours. #Mumbai #RPIProtest #TrafficAlert #Chembur @WeAreMumbai pic.twitter.com/hXB3B5sY8e — Hrishikesh Singh (@TheNonNerd) January 2, 2018

Current situation at #Chembur flyover @mumbaitraffic traffic crawling! #MumbaiTraffic pic.twitter.com/KdilxZXpXw — Microsoft ???? ???? ???? ???? (@mehul_19851) January 2, 2018

LOTS OF CROWD, dispersed quickly by police, shot from my office. trafffic has started moving at diamond garden chembur, #chembur, #chemburtense pic.twitter.com/p2g2MBkHeO — jitendrajain (@jitendrajain) January 2, 2018

#chembur amar mahal bridge blocked causing heavy jam. #easternexpressway jammed too @RidlrMUM @MumbaiPolice pic.twitter.com/50o8pIvzPk — chemburstreets (@chemburstreets) January 2, 2018

On Monday, the violence erupted in the village of Koregaon-Bhima 1 during the 200th anniversary celebrations of the Anglo-Maratha War between the army of Peshwa Bajirao II with a small force of the East India Company that comprised a large number of Dalits. Rahul Fatangale, 28, from Nanded was killed in the incident. Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis taking the matter seriously alleged it is a well-planned conspiracy and a request will be made to Supreme Court for judicial inquiry in Koregaon violence matter and CID inquiry will also be conducted on the death of the youth. "10 lakh compensation will be given to victim's kin." NCP chief Sharad Pawar blamed the Maharashtra administration for lapses in containing the violence in which over 30 vehicles were torched. He also appealed for peace. (VISUALS OF THE VIOLENCE) "Why did the administration not take adequate precautions for this event which has been celebrated peacefully for 200 years? Due to its lapses, there was confusion and rumour-mongering, resulting in the violence," the Nationalist Congress Party chief was quoted by news agency IANS. Pawar suspected the involvement of anti-social elements taking advantage of the situation to indulge in violence, which started with stone-pelting. The administration was aware of the huge crowd coming for the event for the past three four days. According to IANS, lakhs of Dalits had congregated around the Victory Pillar (Vijay Stambh) erected by the British in Sanaswadi village, 30 kms from Pune, when suddenly stone pelting started, allegedly by some right-wing groups carrying saffron flags.