Opposition bandh coincides with Mumbai city markets’ weekly off

Mumbai: While Opposition parties have called for a nationwide bandh on Monday, it is going to be difficult to gauge its impact in Mumbai, as major markets across the city are all generally closed on Monday. These markets include Dadar flower and cloth market and the Hindamata market apart from shops at Crawford market, shops on Bandra’s Linking Road and Hill Road, and shops at Fort around Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus.  

Following a protest staged at Parliament on Wednesday this week, all main Opposition parties, including the Congress, called for a nation wide bandh for all labourers on Monday. However, most markets in the city that employ a large number of daily wage labourers or small-time vendors are generally shut on Monday.

Meanwhile, banking on this possibility, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has already tagged the bandh a major failure. State president of the BJP, Ashish Shelar, said, “It is clear that the Opposition is going to fail miserably. We are going to demonstrate that our decision of demonetisation is in sync with the expectations of the people. We are reaching out to people on Sunday via the ‘Man ki baat, Chai ke saath’ programme, which will be aired in the evening at 310 places all over the city.”