Why a nation-wide ban?

How the bandh has unfolded so far

Congress workers blockaded train tracks in Sambalpur, Odisha (ANI photo)

Who is participating?

Several states brace for the bandh

Congress is a sinking ship: BJP

(With inputs from agencies)

NEW DELHI: A number of opposition parties will join hands to protest against the NDA government on Monday and participate in the ' Bharat Bandh ' called by the Congress. Here is all you need to know:Among the major issues that Congress is protesting against are hike in fuel prices, demand to bring petrol and diesel under GST, a depreciating rupee and the demand for a joint parliamentary committee probe into the alleged irregularities in the Rafale deal.According to the price notification issued by state fuel retailers, petrol price was raised by 12 paise a litre and diesel by 10 paise per litre on Sunday. The increase pushed the petrol price in Delhi to Rs 80.50 per litre, while diesel touched its highest price at Rs 72.61 a litre.Holding the BJP government responsible for the rise in petrol and diesel prices, senior Congress leader Ajay Maken on Sunday said that Centre kept on raising excise duty on fuel even as international crude oil prices have come down.Congress has demanded that petrol and diesel should be brought under GST, by which oil prices could drop by about Rs 15 to Rs 18. The party alleged that the government has collected Rs 11 lakh crore as tax on petrol, diesel and gas, which was an "open loot" of the budget of common people.Complaints of surge pricing on app cabs and exorbitant charge by auto rickshaws have come in from Bengaluru. BMTC has suspended its bus services, including those to the airport. Bus services of North Eastern Karnataka Road Transport Corporation (NEKRTC) aren't operational today.Schools in Odisha and Karnataka have been declared closed.Protests were seen in Bhubaneswar, and train tracks were blockaded in Sambalpur in Odisha.CPI, CPM workers in Vijaywada and Visakhapatnam in Andhra Pradesh held a demonstration against fuel price hike, while Congress protested in Bhongir and Hyderabad in Telangana.According to Congress, 21 opposition parties are supporting the nationwide bandh, besides a number of chambers of commerce and traders' associations.Parties that have extended their support to Congress include former PM HD Deve Gowda's Janata Dal (Secular), Raj Thackeray's Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS), Lalu Prasad Yadav's Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), former Bihar CM Jitan Ram Manjhi's HAM(S), Samajwadi Party, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), Communist Party of India (Marxist), M K Stalin's Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) and Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) among others.In Bengaluru, Karnataka Rakshana Vedike, KSRTC, BMTC, Ola and Uber Drivers and Owners Association, Private Taxi Owners Association, Tours and Travels Taxi Association, Auto Drivers' Association have announced to participate in the bandh.Parties that extended their support for the issues over which the bandh has been called but will not participate in the bandh areMeanwhile, parties like Shiv Sena, TMC and All India Forward Bloc (AIFB), a constituent of the Left Front, expressed support to the issues on which the bandh has been called, but decided to stay away from the stir.While the Congress has called for 6-hour bandh from 9am, the CPM-led Left Front has called a 12-hour bandh starting from 6am. Major city administrations have announced advisories for the Bharat Bandh as the state governments take measures to ensure minimal disruption to daily life.The higher education department in Karnataka has directed all universities and colleges across the state to declare a holiday on Monday. Normal life is likely to be affected in JD(S)-Congress ruled Karnataka since major unions are participating in the bandh. Functioning of public transport system, cinema theatres, multiplexes among others are expected to be hit.The West Bengal government has deputed additional police personnel and the state transport undertakings will run more buses. The Bengal government also announced Rs 75,000 insurance to the owners of any vehicle, damaged by miscreants on September 10. Government employees in West Bengal will be issued show-cause notices if they take a leave on Monday.Schools will remain closed on Monday in Odisha. The state government directed district collectors to take preventive measures to maintain law and order and ensure maintenance of essential services in the districts during the planned strike.In Maharashtra, Mumbai Police served notice under section 149 to MNS party workers that if any law and order situation arises, they will be held responsible.While on one hand opposition geared up for the bandh, Union minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi called Congress a "sinking ship of corruption". "The Congress is a sinking ship of corruption, and all those who support the party will sink with it. A prime example is Uttar Pradesh where the Samajwadi Party tried its luck. Similarly, in West Bengal also, the Communist party was humbled at the hustings," said Naqvi.Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis slammed the opposition parties over the bandh call and said that NDA government reduced petrol prices as many as 13 times in its first three years."They know that oil prices are dependent on the international markets. This government reduced the price of petrol 13 times in the first three years. Now, international prices of crude oil have skyrocketed," he said.He added that if the opposition is so concerned about the high fuel prices, it should announce in the states ruled by the Congress or their alliance partners that there would be no tax on petrol and diesel."But they will not do so, because this is all politically motivated," Fadnavis said.Fadnavis also said bringing petroleum products under Goods and Services Tax (GST) was one of the ways to reduce prices."The state government is working on various proposals to reduce the prices of fuel in Maharashtra. The best way to control the fuel price is to bring it under GST. If the GST Council moves this proposal, then Maharashtra will support it," he said.