Banking, transport services hit

New Delhi : Banking and transport services were disrupted and normal life impacted in some parts of the country on Wednesday as tens of thousands of workers affiliated to Left and Congress-backed trade unions led a strike to protest the union government's economic policies.

While ATMs at certain places ran dry and banking services such as cash withdrawal were impacted at some branches of public sector banks, train services were stopped by striking workers in Kolkata.

Buses, taxis and auto-rickshaws stayed off the road in West Bengal, Kerala and Odisha but the strike had almost no impact in national capital Delhi and the financial hub Mumbai.

However, work at government departments remained unaffected barring sporadic demonstrations by trade unions.

Trade unions earlier claimed that around 25 crore people would participate in the stir. There were no reports of any impact on essential services from anywhere in the country.

Train services were unaffected while electricity generation as well as oil refineries and fuel pumps operated normally. The government also ruled out any impact from the strike.

"They have been doing this type of strikes in every one or two years with many demands," Information and Broadcasting Minister Prakash Javadekar said. "It has no impact." Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, however, attacked the Modi government's policies.

"The Modi-Shah Govt's anti-people, anti-labour policies have created catastrophic unemployment & are weakening our PSUs to justify their sale to Modi's crony capitalist friends.

Today, over 25 crore workers have called for #BharatBandh2020 in protest. I salute them," he tweeted.

Incidents of violence and arson were also reported from various parts of West Bengal with buses, a police vehicle and government properties vandalised by strikers.

Police lobbed teargas shells, fired rubber bullets and baton-charged mob in Malda after protestors ran amuck block a major road, ransacking government buses and torching several vehicles.

In Dum Dum and Lake Town, clashes broke out between Left activists and members of ruling TMC, which did not support the strike call. At least 175 local trains were cancelled in the Sealdah and Howrah divisions of the Eastern Railway owing to rail tracks being blocked.

In Left-ruled Kerala, Kerala State Transport Corporation (KSRTC), private buses, auto-rickshaws and taxis stayed away while schools and colleges declared a holiday.

Normal life was hit in Assam as vehicles remained off the roads and markets and educational institutions were shut.