Bihar bandh on fuel price hike hits normal life

The bandh called by the RJD-LJP combine in Bihar to protest fuel price hike today hit normal life in the state with protestors blocking railway tracks and national highways even as authorities took more than 1,000 party activists into preventive custody.

 

Reports reaching the state headquarters here said the bandh supporters burnt tyres and blocked railway tracks and national and state highway at various places in the state.

 

In the state capital, hundreds of RJD-LJP activists led by LJP president Ramvilas Paswan, former Union minister Jaiprakash Narayan Yadav and Rajya Sabha member Ramkripal Yadav were on the streets to enforce the call.

 

Authorities took more than 1000 RJD-LJP activists into preventive custody from different places across the state.

 

Several trains were stranded at different places in Bihar because of the agitation.

 

The bandh evoked good response in Aurangabad, Gaya, Ara, Masaurhi, Nawada, Barh, Jehanabad, Gopalganj, Chapra, Muzaffarpur, Darbhanga and Saharsa, the reports said.

 

Long queues of trucks and other vehicles were seen waiting for clearance of roads on National Highway at Jarua, Ara, Aurangabad, Muzaffarpur and Sasaram as the protesters blocked the roads.

 

Shops and major business establishments remained closed. Most of the offices of the central and state governments wore a deserted look because of poor attendance, sources said.

 

Among the trains running several hours behind their schedule are New Delhi-Rajendra Nagar Terminal Rajdhani Express, Samoorna Kranti Express, Ganga-Domadar from Dhanbad to Patna, Hatia-Patna Express, Janseva Express from Saharsa to New Delhi and several passengers trains and intercity express.

 

This is the second bandh in the state this week. Normal life was hit in the state on Monday due to the Bharat Bandh called by the NDA and Left parties. Some bandh supporters along with their cattle blocked the Bailey road at Saguna More in Danapur disrupting movement of vehicular traffic.

 

Most shops and business establishments remained closed as a precautionary measure. However, banks and other financial institutions were open.

 

Paswan claimed that the bandh was a "grand success."

 

"The massive response to the call suggests people's dissatisfaction against the Central and state governments for their failure to check the price spiral", he said, urging the Centre to roll back the increased prices of petrol, cooking gas, kerosene and diesel.