Patna: All India Congress Committee (AICC) Bihar in-charge Shaktisinh Gohil on Monday led a fast-cum-sit-in protest in Bihar to protect communal harmony, rights of Dalits and tribal people, on the call given by party president Rahul Gandhi.

Gohil, who had arrived in the state on Sunday, led the fast and protest at Sheohar collectorate.

Bihar Pradesh Congress Committee (BPCC) president in-charge Kaukab Quadri, legislature party leader in the Assembly Sadanand Singh, legislature party leader in Legislative Council Madan Mohan Jha, MLAs Shakeel Ahmad Khan, Amit Kumar Tunna, Sheohar district Congress president Mohammad Asad and several others also participated.

The AICC Bihar in-charge is also participating in the first phase of Aamantran Yatra launched by the state Congress to reconnect with families of freedom fighters, who have traditionally been the supporters of the party. He will be in Bihar till April 11 and will also visit Sitamarhi and Muzaffarpur districts.

After the fast and sit-in protest got over, a team of senior Congress leaders and hundreds of party workers went to Fatehpur village in Sheohar to meet families of freedom fighters and invited them to be with the party.

"The Congress is the only party that believes and works for harmony, peace and prosperity of all sections of the society. Your forefathers have been with the party and strengthened it. We need your support again," Gohil said on the occasion.

The leaders also visited Raja Dih village in Sheohar where a farmer, Narad Rai, had committed suicide because of failure of maize crop allegedly because of bad seeds. They also promised to get a bank account opened in the name of Rai's wife and deposit Rs 50,000 in it.

The fast-cum-protest was also held at BPCC headquarters at Sadaquat Ashram in which former state Congress chief Anil Sharma, MLA and former minister Ashok Kumar, former MLA Harkhu Jha, state spokesperson H.K. Verma, former spokesperson Rajesh Kumar Sinha, AICC member Umakant Singh and several others participated.

"We have fasted to strengthen our determination to protect the rights of people belonging to the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe. The Congress has always been a pro-Dalit party and will always remain so," Umakant said.

Fast and sit-in protests were held at all district headquarters in the state. "The event was a call for peace and harmony," Verma added.

Begusarai MLA Ramdeo Rai and many others fasted at the Martyrs' Memorial in front of the state legislature.