The Bihar bandh called by some student bodies and supported by the Opposition parties over irregularities in the Railways recruitment exam evoked mixed response on Friday, with protesters disrupting movement of trains and vehicles in different parts of the state.
The district administration had made adequate arrangements with the deployment of police personnel and magistrates to prevent any untoward incident. Earlier, the police had booked hundreds of students for protesting in more than 12 districts.
The Opposition mahagathbandhan (grand alliance) had supported the students’ protest and at many places the student wing of these political parties could be seen enforcing the bandh.
Jan Adhikar Party leader and former Madhepura MP Rajesh Ranjan, alias Pappu Yadav, hit the roads in Patna with his supporters. He attacked the Central government for “committing fraud on students preparing for competitive examinations”.
The student wing of the Rashtriya Janata Dal and the Left parties too came out on the roads. The ruling NDA constituents Hindustani Awam Morcha (Secular) and Vikassheel Insaan Party (VIP) extended their moral support to the bandh.
In Patna, the bandh supporters burnt tyres on Ashok Rajpath and demonstrated at Dak Bungalow thoroughfare. They even clashed with police personnel who stopped them from marching towards the Raj Bhavan. In Vaishali, Supaul, Samastipur, Buxar, Jehanabad, Bhagalpur, Katihar, Darbhanga, Begusarai, and Munger the supporters disrupted movement of trains and vehicles causing inconvenience to commuters. However, no untoward incident was reported during bandh call from any corner of the state.
Meanwhile, one of the six teachers of coaching institutes who were booked by Patna district administration allegedly for inciting students, appealed to students to stay calm. “I appeal to you all with my folded hands to stay away from such a bandh call as miscreants can take advantage of your protest and moreover, the Central government has conceded to all your demands”, Faizal Khan, who is popular as “Khan Sir”, said in a video released on social media.
