Guns tucked in SUVs are back on roads in a chilling reminder of the’90s as political friends turned foes two days ago.
No sooner Patna SSP Manu Maharaj reached with a posse of policemen at Beer Chand Patel Marg after being informed of a violent clash among the JD(U) and the BJP supporters than a white SUV was found stationary near the JD(U) party office. The gun was found near the driver’s seat around 10.30am, about 15 minutes after the clash had broken out. “The SUV has been seized and brought to the Kotwali police station. Investigations are on and the police will find the car owner very soon,” additional director-general (operations) S.K. Bharadwaj said.
Police sources said that the SUV belonged to one Munna Patel, a JD(U) leader, though none of the senior officers has confirmed the same till late on Tuesday evening.
Security forces cordoned off the Beer Chand Patel Marg that turned out to be the epicentre of bandh violence as the BJP state office is situated just 700 metres from that of the JD(U). Bustling was the order of the morning in the otherwise quiet stretch as “Nitish Kumar Zindabad” and “Narendra Modi Zindabad” ranting the air every now and then with similar pitch. The RJD headquarters between the two party offices stood a silent witness like the innumerable sellers of snacks. They did a brisk business as the police tried to rein in the bandh supporters. “The last time the road saw so much crowd was during the 2010 elections. Sale has been great since morning,” Raju, who sells tea near the JD(U) office, said.
Common people, on the other hand, showed prudence in staying mostly indoors. “Around 11am, I started towards my workplace on Frazer Road but found the Boring Road roundabout blocked. I returned home and got out only after 12noon,” said bank employee Arindam Kumar, a resident of Boring Road.
The Patna railway station area was normal with autorickshaws picking up passengers but avoiding the Dakbungalow roundabout, which was full of BJP supporters and leaders since 11.30am.
“A day of bandh means problems for the common man always in some way or the other. What is strange that any political party calls for a bandh anytime they want to and we, who vote for them, have to abide by them. If people don’t, they are even forced to fall in line,” said state government employee Arvind Srivastava, a resident of Digha.
