Bharat Bandh Live Updates: 500 protesters detained in Bhubaneswar

Sanjay Parate, a trade union leader from the state, said several districts, farmers, labourers and employees of central government will be protesting in the afternoon.

Public sector banks have opened in Mumbai but employees are scarce across most branches.

Police arrested Left and Congress workers in several district for blocking roads and damaging buses. Communist Party of India (Marxist) MLA Sujan Chakraborty and 20 party workers were detained by the police for blocking road at Jadavpur in south Kolkata. Though planes and trains ran on time, radio taxis were conspicuous by their absence at the Kolkata airport and Howrah station although the government appealed to the companies to run their fleets.

Shopkeepers in Mumbai have not yet decided to whether to take a call on opening their shops. Hawkers (vegetable, fruit, and flower vendors) at markets in Dadar, Parel, Mahim, Bandra in South Central Mumbai carrying out business as usual.

BEST buses, train services are running normally in Mumbai. Commuters have reported normal experience while travelling to work, reports Naresh Kamath from Mumbai.

AIBEA general Secretary C H Venkatachalam told PTI, that government's move like merger of PSUs, bank mergers and privatisation have led them to join the strike which claims to have the support of 25 crore people.

Shiv Sena mouthpiece Saamna in its editorial said that industry and labour class was badly affected due to its decisions like demonetisation and Goods and Services Tax during NDA-I

Expressing their displeasure against Centre's decision of strategic disinvestment of Bharat Petroleum, BPR employees protested in front of BPCL's Mahul office.

The Wayanad MP says he salutes the 25 crore employees, traders and labour union members who are conducting the strike.

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.

— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) January 8, 2020

The Indian post office's mail sorting division of the Mumbai airport in Vile Parle is empty as post office employees have joined the strike.

Several trade unions are looking to picket at important railway stations in Kerala. Trains and airways are running normally so far.

The tourism industry has been affected even though organisations who are striking assured to leave the services catering to the tourism industry in the state.

All India Bank Employees Association

All India Bank Officers’ Association (AIBOA)

Bank Employees Federation of India

Indian National Bank Employees’ Federation (INBEF)

Indian National Bank Officers Congress INBOC

Bank Karmachari Sena Mahasangh (BKSM)

The bank unions are miffed over the mega-merger of PSU banks and have demanded a wage hike. Services in private sector banks with strong union presence could also be affected.

The Rail Mazdoor Union will hold protests against the Centre but it has assured that train services will continue to function normally.

BKS will join the protests called by the other ten trade unions INTUC, AITUC, HMS, CITU, AIUTUC, TUCC, SEWA, AICCTU, LPF, and UTUC. They have said that their agitation will not affect the running of the Mumbai airport.