Patna: The ruling Janata Dal United on Monday termed the Bharat Bandh called by Congress and supported by other Opposition parties as an epitome of hooliganism and return of jungle raj.

The JDU leaders claimed that the bandh against the steep increase in the petroleum prices was not called to fight for the rights of the people but to land them in more trouble.

"By citing the reason of inflation, the common man and passers by were troubled and the protesters were beating up innocent people," said JDU chief spokesperson and former MLC Sanjay Singh.

"The television footage and photographs prove how the common man was targeted, which is a shame for Tejashwi Prasad Yadav and other Opposition leaders."

He alleged that a "trailer" of the 15-year jungle raj was visible when vehicles were being damaged on the roads of the Bihar and stones were being pelted on running trains.

The JDU also attacked the Opposition over the death of a child in Jehanabad, whose father said it took him five hours to reach the sadar hospital because vehicles were off the roads during the bandh.

"Tejashwi Yadav should explain that what was the fault of that two-year-old girl and for what reason the bandh was called for by the Congress," Sanjay said.

"Who will take the responsibility? Rahul Gandhi or Tejashwi Prasad Yadav? I strongly condemn such politics which can take away the life of small children. Today's chaotic situation reminds me of Lalu Prasad's era when shops used to be closed forcefully. After watching the trailer, the people of Bihar will not give a chance to Tejashwi to make his full film."

Another JDU spokesperson and MLC Neeraj Kumar echoed his colleague.

"Protest is an old tradition by the Opposition in a democracy and that's the beauty of Indian democracy," he said. "However, the Opposition does not have the right to play with the future of children. Due to their bandh, all the schools remained closed.

"In many schools exams are going on and their future is being forced into darkness. The death of the little girl is equally shameful and raises serious questions on the vote-bank politics being done by the Opposition.

"The petrol prices will go up and will come down and the issue will be alive but what about the father who lost his two-year-old daughter? Can we bring his daughter back? Who will take the responsibility?"

State JDU youth vice-president Om Prakash Singh Setu termed the bandh unsuccessful.