Patna: Crying slogans of "betrayal by the very party we have been voting for", members of nondescript upper caste organisations went on the rampage across Bihar and held the state to ransom on Thursday over certain amendments in the Scheduled Caste/Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.
The organisations, whose members claim to be supporters of the BJP, had called for a bandh on the day. These bandh supporters staged a demonstration in front of the BJP state headquarters at Beer Chand Patel Marg in Patna shouting slogans against the party for its "betrayal". The gate of the premises remained locked from inside.
Some of the protesters also headed towards the office of chief minister Nitish Kumar's JDU, a BJP ally, just a few hundred metres away on the same road, but here also they encountered shut gates.
Earlier this year, the Supreme Court had removed the strict provision of mandatory arrests under the SC/ST Act. This decision had triggered nationwide protests by Scheduled Castes organisations, forcing the Centre to bring an amendment to the Act during the monsoon session of Parliament to overrule the SC order. The upper caste organisations are staging protests against the amendments to the Act.
Jehanabad additional superintendent of police (operations) Sanjeev Kumar had a miraculous escape when an unruly mob of protesters hurled stones on a police team that had gone to Vaina village under Ghosi block in Jehanabad district to remove a blockade and restore traffic on the Patna-Gaya main road.
The incident happened around 11am. Jehanabad superintendent of police Shree Maneesh told The Telegraph over phone, "The ASP received injuries on his forehead in the stone pelting. He was rushed to the Jehanabad sadar hospital where he got several stitches on his forehead."
The Ghosi police have lodged a complaint and raids were underway to nab the culprits. The injured cop was released from hospital late in the evening when his condition improved, Maneesh said.
A group of protesters also attacked the convoy of Madhepura MP and Jan Adhikar Party chief Rajesh Ranjan a.k.a. Pappu Yadav near Khabra in Muzaffarpur. Pappu had to face the ire of the protesters when he forcibly tried to pass through the road despite a blockade.
Though Muzaffarpur senior superintendent of police (SSP) Harpreet Kaur denied that the MP was manhandled, Pappu claimed that a section of protesters attacked him from behind when he tried to persuade them to allow his vehicle to go.
"They would have lynched me had the security personnel not intervened on time," Pappu told reporters in Muzaffarpur. The incident took place when he was on way to Madhubani from Patna to launch his padyatra in protest against rise in atrocities against women in the state.
Former minister and JDU leader Shyam Rajak too had to bear the brunt of the protesters in Begusarai. His vehicle was pelted with stones by an irate mob. Rajak, who is the national general secretary of the party, suffered minor injuries and was released after being administered first aid.
The bandh call was given by half-a-dozen non-political organisations such as Sawarn Sena, Bhumhar-Brahmin Ekta Manch and Sawarna Morcha - on social media. The police headquarters had sounded an alert in the wake of the bandh.
An official release issued by the police headquarters said a school bus was attacked by bandh enforcers in Belaganj market in Gaya district. The windscreens of the bus were damaged in stone pelting. A student also received minor injuries. A host of policemen, including the station house officer of Belaganj and Chanan police stations were injured.
Over half-a-dozen districts such as Bhojpur, Muzaffarpur, Gaya, Buxar, Sitamarhi, Siwan, Jehanabad and Patna witnessed violence and arson. An assistant sub-inspector of police identified as Sibtullah Khan was injured in a brick-battle near Deedarganj in Patna City. One motorbike was seized and a suspect was arrested.
Ara in Bhojpur district was one of the worst hit with violent clashes breaking out between the bandh enforcers and security personnel. The police resorted to baton charge when protesters attacked a police team at Jajdeo Nagar in Ara. Locals said the protesters also fired several rounds in the air to terrorise the residents.
Train services were severely affected. Among the major trains stuck were the Vaishali Superfast Express at Karpurigram, Bihar Sampark Kranti Express at Samastipur, Kathgodam Express at Dubha, Samastipur-Muzaffarpur Passenger at Samastipur, Amritsar Jainagar Shahid Express at Darbhanga, and the Darbhanga-Lokmanya Tilak Terminus Pawan Express at Darbhanga.
Additional director-general (headquarters) S.K. Singhal said a total of 26 FIRs were lodged and action taken against 34 persons during the bandh.
Bharatiya Jan Kranti Dal (Democratic) national spokesperson Laxman Pandey described the bandh as a "total success" and said they would intensify the agitation if their demands were not met. Sources said that activists of the Karni Sena, a non-political outfit, actively took part in the bandh.
