Goa BJP to offer lifts to commuters during Wednesday's strike

State BJP cadres will offer lifts to stranded commuters across Goa during the nationwide strike called by central trade unions on Wednesday.

Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar on Tuesday also promised to crackdown on violence and ensure law and order in the state.

Addressing a press conference here, Bharatiya Janata Party spokesperson Pramod Sawant urged people to carry on their activities as usual on Wendesday, promising assistance from the party cadres to ensure normalcy.

"We exhort our cadre to offer lifts to stranded commuters... There is no basis for this strike. Our cadre will step out on the streets to ensure that businesses are not forced to shut down and life is not affected for the common man in any way," Sawant said.

Several trade unions and transporters' associations from Goa are joining the September 2 pan-India strike, which has been called to protest the provisions of the proposed Road Motor Transport and Safety Bill, Foreign Direct Investment in retail trade and the National Democratic Alliance's tinkering with labour laws.

Parsekar called the strike an "injustice on the people of Goa".

"We are going to ensure that no one is in a position to force this strike on people. Maintenance of law and order will be top priority tomorrow (Wednesday). Police will support those who are not joining the strike," he said.