Bihar witnessed large-scale disruption of traffic, vandalism and arson on Thursday on account of a statewide shutdown called by Left parties in protest against amended Citizenship Act and the proposed country-wide implementation of National Register of Citizens.
The protest was attended by several small parties like former MP Pappu Yadav's Jan Adhikar Party (JAP) and former Bollywood set designer Mukesh Sahni's Vikassheel Insaan Party (VIP).
The latter is a constituent of the Opposition Grand Alliance in the state and took an active part in the dawn-to-dusk protests.
Grand Alliance's largest constituent, the RJD, extended ”moral support” to the bandh though its cadre stayed away from enforcing the same, saying they have called a shutdown against the amended Citizenship Act and the proposed nationwide NRC on Saturday, December 21.
Other constituents of the coalition, the Congress, Rashtriya Lok Samta Party (RLSP) and Hindustani Awam Morcha (HAM) had on Wednesday pledged support to both the shutdowns though not much active participation was seen from these parties.
In the state capital, the JAP — a fledgling outfit — remained in the spotlight as it took the lead in acts of vandalisation of buses and cars, burning tyres on the roads to obstruct movement of vehicles and squatting on railway tracks to prevent trains from running on time.
The JAP activists also came up with several camera-friendly forms of protest.
Some of the male protesters donned saris and gyrated to the tunes of Bhojpuri songs on the Mahatma Gandhi Setu across the Ganges that connects the capital city to north Bihar, while many others demonstrated on the streets bare chested notwithstanding the chilly weather.
Pappy Yadav, who was recently served with a notice by the Patna district administration under Section 107 of the Criminal Procedure Code that he had equated to a “house arrest”, marched on the streets accompanied by supporters as they wore handcuffs and shackles, accusing the government of trying to smother dissent.
Jan Adhikar Party chief Pappu Yadav with supporters protests against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, the National Register for Citizens and rise in the incidents of crime against women in the state during Bihar bandh, in Patna, Thursday, December 19, 2019. PTI
Around afternoon, a huge swarm of Left activists gathered at the Dak Bungalow crossing in the heart of the city, enthused by the presence among them of young CPI leader Kanhaiya Kumar, who has in the recent past participated in similar protests against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act in other parts of Bihar as well as outside the state.
Educational institutions and commercial establishments remained open by and large as police personnel were on their guard preventing bandh supporters protesters from enforcing the bandh, many of whom were also rounded up.
Sanjay Paswan, an outspoken MLC of the BJP, hit the streets along with scores of supporters.
”I am carrying out this demonstration in protest against attempts by the Opposition to mislead the nation on issues like CAA and NRC. It is our duty to caution the people against these elements,” Paswan told reporters.
In the politically sensitive north Bihar town of Muzaffarpur, a massive procession was taken out by Left parties.
They were joined by members of several Muslim organisations, who carried the tricolor and pictures of Mahatma Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru and raised slogans accusing the Narendra Modi government at the Centre of reneging on the ideals espoused by the country's founding fathers.
In Begusarai, a former Left bastion, which is currently the Lok Sabha constituency of Union minister Giriraj Singh, scores of women donning Burqas hit the streets in protest the legislation and the proposed NRC carrying huge banners with ”save the Constitution, save the country” inscribed thereon.
In Bhagalpur, a communally sensitive town known for its silk industry, bandh supporters burnt effigies of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union home minister Amit Shah.
Long queues of stranded vehicles were seen on national highways close to Muzaffarpur, Begusarai and Jehanabad where police personnel had a tough time convincing the bandh supporters many of whom had placed heaps of burning tyres on the roads - to allow the plying of cars, buses and trucks.
”Rail traffic has been normal barring one or two stray incidents”, the East Central Railway headquartered at Hajipur said in a statement.