Unhappy with the Maharashtra government's inability to prevent bomb blasts in Mumbai, the Shiv Sena-Bharatiya Janata Party combine has called for a bandh on Wednesday to register its protest.
The two parties said the bandh would allow people to express their feelings about the repeated bomb blasts in the metropolis.
Monday night's bomb blast was the fourth since December 2002 and the second in the northern suburb of Ghatkopar.
At a joint press conference in the Shiv Sena's headquarters in Mumbai, the two parties directed their ire at Deputy Chief Minister Chhagan Bhujbal, who also holds the home portfolio in the Democratic Front government.
"People feel insecure. When they go out their homes to work, they don't know if they will return home safely. Our bandh will allow them to express their emotions," Shiv Sena working president Uddhav Thackeray said.
"We have called for a bandh only in Mumbai. If people in other parts of the state also observe a bandh, we will welcome the development," he said.
Medical stores, hospitals, ambulances, milk delivery vehicles, fire brigade and mediapersons have been exempted, the Sena leader said.
BJP leader Gopinath Munde criticised Deputy Chief Minister Chhagan Bhujbal saying working of the police force had been severely compromised as money had begun playing an important role in postings, transfers and promotions.
Leader of Opposition and former chief minister Narayan Rane alleged that 'most Students Islamic Movement of India members had ties with the Congress and Nationalist Congress Party (the main DF constituents), which stopped the government from taking action against them'.
On Wednesday evening at 1700 IST, the combine's leaders would meet with mediapersons at the BJP office to discuss the day's developments.
Some images from the blast site and Rajawadi Hospital
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