Bharat Bandh: Vehicular traffic disrupted in some districts of Bihar, police lathi charge protesters

Patna, Aug 21 (PTI) Vehicular traffic was briefly disrupted in parts of Bihar on Wednesday, as protestors put up blockades in support of the Bharat Bandh called by some groups over community-based reservation.

While protesters disrupted train movement at Darbhanga and Buxar railway stations, police resorted to mild lathi-charge of protestors, who blocked movements of traffic on roads, including some national highways at several locations in Patna, Hajipur, Darbhanga, Jehanabad and Begusarai districts.

A large number of protestors gathered at Darbhanga and Buxar railway stations and stopped Bihar Sampark Kranti and Farakka Express trains for some time. Later, personnel of the Railway Protection Force (RPF) and district police managed to disperse the protestors from the railway stations.

Talking to PTI, Sharswati Chandra, Chief Public Relations Officer (CPRO) of East Central Railway, said, “Protestors disrupted movement of rail traffic at Ara, Chausa (Buxar), Darbhanga, Begusarai and Rajgir for some time in the morning. However, the situation was immediately brought under control and protestors were removed from railway tracks and stations. Now, the movement of trains is normal”.

In Patna, police used mild lathi-charge to disperse protestors who blocked movement of traffic at Dak Bungalow chowk of the state capital. Talking to PTI, Rajeev Mishra, Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP), Patna, said, “Security personnel resorted to mild lathi-charge to disperse protestors who blocked movement of traffic at Dak Bungalow chowk and later broke police barricade. No one was injured in the incident. Now the situation is completely under control.”

In Jehanabad district, agitators clashed with security personnel when they tried to block movement of traffic on National Highway-83, police said. Five protestors were detained as they tried to disrupt traffic movement on NH-83 near Unta Chowk. They were later removed from the spot and normality was restored, said a police officer.

In Madhepura, Muzaffarpur, Saran, Begusarai, Hajipur, Purnea protestors attempted to block movement of traffic at several places, but security forces promptly dispersed them, police said. Protestors also burnt tyres at several places in these districts and tried to block the movement of traffic.

Independent Lok Sabha MP from Purnea, Rajesh Ranjan alias Pappu Yadav and his supporters also came on the streets of Patna and other places in response to a Supreme Court ruling that allows sub-categorization within SC/ST reservations. Talking to reporters in Purnea, Yadav said, “The NDA government at the Centre is against reservation to the SC/ST and other extremely backward classes. The Centre wants to snatch reservations given to SC/ST and other extremely backward classes.”

Meanwhile, recruitment exams were underway for the post of constables in Bihar Police, Bihar Special Armed Police and other units in several districts on Wednesday. The state government had earlier instructed police to ensure the smooth transportation of aspirants to the test centres.

The Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and other partners of the INDIA bloc have extended their support to the bandh.

Twenty-one organisations across the country have called for the Bharat Bandh against the Supreme Court’s August 1 decision on the issue of SC-ST reservation. The organisations have opposed the verdict, contending that it will harm the basic principles of reservation.