'Bharat Bandh' LIVE UPDATES: Congress Party calls for 'Bharat Bandh' against fuel price hike, opposition parties back protest to corner Modi government

Update at 4:25 PM:

Update at 4:17 PM:

Update at 4:17 PM:

Update at 3:57 PM: Karnataka CM HD Kumaraswamy meets Union Minister of Petroleum Dharmendra Pradhan

Update at 3:42 PM:

Update at 3:15 PM: AP CM Chandrababu Naidu reduces fuel prices

Update at 3:15 PM: Bus services in Karnataka resumed

Update at 2:55 PM: Six MNS workers arrested by Pune Police

Update at 1:56 PM: Union Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan meeting BJP party president Amit Shah

Update at 12:50 PM: 

Update at 12:50 PM:

Update at 12:49 PM: Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad addresses briefing on Bharat Bandh protest

"They are setting petrol pump on fire, a child died in Bihar's Jehanabad as ambulance didn't reach to the hospital due to protest. Will Congress party take responsibility for it? When they (Congress) fail to garner support they resort to such protests. Petrol and diesel prices are high due to the crisis in the international market. There is political instability in Venezuela. Iran is under the pressure of US sanction. Petrol hike is an issue which is not in our hand".

Update at 12:38 PM: On the matter concerning the prices of Petrol and diesel, Modi ji used to say that I will do this and that, I will merge heaven and earth. So now what happened? Now the petrol prices are sky high". 

Update at 12:26 PM: The entire nation is worried about this petrol hike and BJP is providing benefit to certain businessmen and industrialists: Tejashwi Yadav on Bharat Bandh

Update at 12:13 PM: Congress workers carry a motorcycle on a bullock cart during Bharat Bandh protests in Delhi's Preet Vihar

(Credit: ANI) 

Update at 12:03 PM: The economy has been poorly mismanaged and various section of the society want to change govt., it's people's agony and BJP is forcing all parties to come together: Sitaram Yechury

Update at 11:53 AM: 'Bharat' will not be 'bandh', it will keep moving and progressing. No one is paying heed to this call by Congress, their 'Mahagatbandhan' balloon will also burst soon: Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi, Union Minister

Update at 11:53 AM: The frustrated opposition doesn't have any strategy and leadership, what else can be expected from them?  I hope God gives them sense so they can differentiate between positive and negative otherwise in future they will even lose their position as Opposition: Yogi Adityanath, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister 

Update at 11:43 AM: Congress President Rahul Gandhi address the party during Bharath Bandh protests in Delhi

"It has been four years now, they (BJP) have failed to fulfill their promises. Wherever the BJP goes, they work to divide people. Narendra Modi ji is silent, he has not spoken a word on rising prices of fuel, or condition of farmers, neither on atrocities against women. All the parties are here sharing the same stage and together we are going to defeat BJP".

Update at 11:21 AM: If you ask me personally, I would say Petrol prices should not be more than 40 rupee and petrol pumps owners could get benefit within  .. the Modi ji should ask finance ministry to step in and take some macro-economical majors: Subramanian Swamy on Bharat Bandh

Update at 11:21 AM: This is totally hypocritical as they also raised the price when they were in power: Subramanian Swamy on opposition's 'Bharat Bandh' strike

Update at 11:21 AM: Mumbai Metro resumes services

Update at 11:05 AM: Congress workers vandalise a petrol pump in Ujjain during 'Bharat Bandh' protest

Update at 11:05 AM:  Even farmers are not happy with this government. This government is not ready for anything. Nobody halted development projects. This government is only responsible: Akhilesh Yadav, former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister 

Update at 10:52 AM: MNS workers in Mumbai forcefully shut down shops and establishments at Bharatmata Junction Naka, Parel

Update at 10:52 AM: Traffic blocked in Mount road, Chennai as Communist party leaders and workers staged a sit-in protest

Update at 10:26 AM: There is no place for violence during a protest. We are taking out our protest peacefully, we don't want people to face any problem: Ajay Maken, Congress Spokesperson 

Update at 10:26 AM: Ashok Chavan, Sanjay Nirupam detained by Mumbai police

Maharashtra Congress president Ashok Chavan, Mumbai Congress president Sanja Nirupam, senior leader Manikrao Thakare detained by Mumbai police and have been taken to DN Nagar police station.

​Update at 10:26 AM: Now the time has come to change the government. Modi Sarkar immensely failed. We need to prepare ourselves. We (opposition) must leave our differences behind and get together. We should be ready to protect our democracy, media should also fulfill its responsibility: Former Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh

​Update at 10:20 AM: 'Bharat Bandh' protest in Chennai

​Update at 10:11 AM: MNS workers marching protest in Dadar, Mumbai

​Update at 10:10 AM: Protesters break the window glass of a car in Patna

​Update at 9:55 AM: Sonia Gandhi joins the 'Bharat Bandh' protest in Delhi

​Update at 9:55 AM: Former Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh joins the 'Bharat Bandh' protest in Delhi

​Update at 9:51 AM: Congress workers protests in Raipur against fuel price hike in Chhattisgarh

 (Credit: ANI)

Update at 9:30 AM: 'Rail Roko' protest in Andheri, Mumbai

Update at 9:20 AM: Congress President Rahul Gandhi along with senior Congress leaders stage protest at Petrol pump in Delhi

Update at 9:05 AM: Congress leaders head towards Petrol Pump, opposition leaders joins in

Update at 8:55 AM: Jan Adhikar Party Loktantrik workers block railway tracks in Patna's Rajendra Nagar Terminal railway station to support to Bharat Bandh:

 (Credit: ANI)

Update at 8:55 AM: Congress President Rahul Gandhi leads the protest march. Congress leaders along with other opposition leaders to move towards a petrol pump.They will cover a distance of 1.5 km. Sonia Gandhi is likely to join the protest.  

Update at 8:50 AM: Protesters in Gujarat's Bharuch burn tyres, halts traffic movement

(Credit: ANI)

Update at 8:38 AM: Congress President Rahul Gandhi joins Bharat Bandh protest against fuel price hike

Update at 8:35 AM: The bandh call will begin from 9 am today morning and will continue till 3 pm. Congress communication department head Randeep Surjewala said the timing of the bandh is such that “the common person is not inconvenienced”. Leaders of opposition parties will sit in a dharna at Rajghat.

Update at 8:30 AM: CPI and CPM workers in Andhra Pradesh's Vijayawada hold a protest against fuel price hike

Update at 8:30 AM: Telangana: Congress workers hold protests in Yadadri Bhuvanagiri district's Bhongir

Update at 8:30 AM: Protests being held in Odisha's Bhubaneswar by opposition parties against fuel price hike

Escalating a scathing attack on Modi government, the Congress party has called for a nationwide 'Bandh' on Monday against the rising fuel prices and depreciation of the rupee. Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) and the Samajwadi Party (SP) along with other political parties have extended their support to the Congress. 

Meanwhile, schools and colleges in JDS- Congress-ruled Karnataka will be closed and daily life is likely to be affected on Monday as a result of 'Bharat Bandh' called by the Congress. Public transport, cinema theatres, multiplexes are expected to be hit during the nation-wide shutdown. The Karnataka government has declared a public holiday in Bengaluru as a precautionary.

Read: Raj Thackeray Extends Support To Bharat Bandh, Will He Join ‘Mahagathabandhan’?

In the wake of the same, the Mumbai Police served a notice to Maharashtra Navnirman Sena party (MNS) under section 149, which states that in case of any law and order situation in Mumbai, the party will be held responsible for the same.

"To protest against the sky-rocketing prices of petrol and diesel, the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena extends its full fledged support to the Bharat Bandh declared on 10th September, 2018", wrote Raj Thackeray, Maharashtra Navnirman Sena party Chief. 

Fuel prices have been witnessing a hike in several states across the country over the past few weeks. Petrol is sold at a record high rate of Rs. 80.38 per litre in New Delhi and diesel at Rs 72.51 per litre. On the other hand, the price of petrol rose to Rs 87.77 per litre in Mumbai, while diesel is being sold at 76.98 per litre. As a result, it is burning a hole in the pocket of the common man. The Indian rupee is also facing a decline in its value against the US dollar.

Read:  BJP National Executive Meeting: BJP Releases Political Resolution For 2019 & Beyond, Focuses On PM's Vision Of 'New India'

Earlier on Sunday, Union Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Dharmendra Pradhan has earlier blamed international factors for the hike in fuel price and said that one major reason for the rise in petrol and diesel prices is the depreciation of the Indian rupee against the US dollar. 

Addressing the media, the minister said:

"Due to two major external factors, this unavoidable situation is prevailing in the market. American Dollar is creating a unique and unavoidable situation which is not good for world's economy also. Today, the Indian currency is stronger as ever. But how do we purchase oil? Dollars. Today Dollar is, in a way, the world's biggest exchange currency. That is creating a problem for us". 

"Issues of Iran, Venezuela and Turkey are creating pressure on production. These factors are not in India's hands," he added.