RJD activists take out a rally in Bhagalpur on Thursday. Picture by Amit Kumar

Bhagalpur, May 10: Residents today stayed indoors during a bandh called by the RJD and its allies against health minister Ashwini Kumar Choubey’s comments against bureaucrats. The CPI-ML (Liberation) had also called a bandh today in support of a charter of demands.

Choubey had allegedly passed some adverse comments against local bureaucrats during the concluding ceremony of Swasthya Maha Kumbh, a mega health check-up camp, in Bhagalpur on April 30. The town wore a deserted look with shops, offices and educational institutions remaining closed and vehicles remaining off the roads.

Bandh activists tried to disrupt train movement at Bhagalpur station by blocking 12367 Up Vikramshila Express. Some minor clashes were reported between bandh supporters and private vehicle owners. The local BJP wing blamed the district administration and the local police for providing patronage to the bandh activists.

“Why was the RJD worried about what the minister commented on the erring officers? The entire episode was engineered by certain local high-ranking officials who acted silently from behind the curtains,” alleged BJP president, Bhagalpur district, Nabhay Kumar Choudhary.