Pune: Buses stoned by Dalit protesters, schools and shops remain shut

Pune: Barring a couple of incidents of stones being pelted on public transport buses, the "bandh" in Pune started on a peaceful note.

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The shutdown received a mixed response in the city since morning with some shops doing business with their shutters partially up.

Additional Commissioner of Police (South/North Region) Ravindra Sengaonkar said that there were two instances of stone-pelting, one in Sukhsagar Nagar and second in Singhgad Road on buses of Pune Mahanagar Parivahan Mahamandal Limited.

According to PMPNL, since Tuesday, 42 buses from its fleet were stoned and since Wednesday morning, the number of buses being hit by stones stood at around 10 to 12.

"Buses are being plied under instructions from the police," said a PMPMl officer.

Several private schools remained shut as a precautionary measure despite there being no official holiday being declared for educational institutions.

According to the officials of Agriculture Produce Market Committee (APMC), the supply of vegetables reduced by 20 per cent.

"On an average day, we receive 1000 trucks of vegetables and agriculture produce from various parts of the state. In wake of the bandh, the supply dropped by 20 per cent today," said an APMC officer bearer.

According to Savitribai Phue Pune University (SPPU), a paper of Masters of Pharmacy scheduled for Wednesday was postponed.

Meanwhile some Dalit organizations have decided to march to Milind Ekbotes house but Sengaonkar said that no such permission would be granted.

Ekbote along with another Hindutva outfit leader Sambhaji Bhide alias Bhide Guruji were booked under relevant sections of SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act for allegedly orchestrating the violence in Bhima Koregaon on January 1.

"There is adequate police bandobast deployed in the city and we appeal to the people to not take law into their hands," Sengaonkar appealed.