VHP-BJP bandh evokes mixed response in Bihar

PATNA: The 12-hour shutdown called by the VHP-BJP combine to protest reversion of land transferred to Amarnath Shrine Board evoked mixed response in Bihar on Thursday.

While communally sensitive Bhagalpur town witnessed a complete bandh with all markets closed and thin vehicular traffic, no major impact was experienced by the state capital where most markets, barring those near Dakbungalow road intersection, remained open.

In Bhagalpur, private schools were closed and bandh supporters blocked vital roads with burning tyres. Windscreens of nearly a dozen vehicles were smashed.

Flow of vehicular traffic in Patna was nearly normal and around 50 bandh supporters led by BJP MLA, Nitin Navin were taken into custody while enforcing the bandh, official sources said.

Reports reaching from Gaya and Darbhanga said markets and business establishments were closed but attendance in state an central government undertakings was normal. Traffic on Darbhanga-Muzaffarpur national highway 57 was disrupted.

There were reports of bandh supporters disrupting movement of trains for some time at Muzaffarpur, Bhagalpur, Darbhanga and Sasaram.

While BJP activists led by its district president Ravindra Prasad Singh stopped Maurya Express at Muzaffarpur station, Delhi-bound Vikramshila Express was halted at Bhagalpur.

The bandh protagonists stopped Samastipur-Darbhanga passenger train at Darbhanga and Howrah-Jodhpur Express at Sasaram, headquarters of Rohtas district.

Over 250 bandh supporters have been rounded up in various parts of the state while trying to enforce the bandh.