Bharat Bandh Live: Clashes, lathi-charge in Bihar; road, rail links hit in Odisha

The Bharat Bandh had little impact on normal life in Uttar Pradesh on Wednesday, even as Dalit groups and political parties held demonstrations and marches in parts of the state.

Shops were open and it was business as usual in large parts of the state. Security was tightened in view of the day-long bandh called by some Dalit and Adivasi groups against a recent Supreme Court order on reservation for Scheduled Castes (SCs).

Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) and Samajwadi Party (SP) extended their support to the bandh.

In Lucknow, traffic was affected on key routes in and near Hazratganj as BSP workers held a demonstration. In other parts of the city, normal life remained unaffected and markets were open.

A large number of BSP workers and supporters gathered at Ambedkar Chowk in the heart of Lucknow city for a demonstration.

In Prayagraj, Rapid Action Force personnel in riot gear were deployed to maintain law and order.

A group of protesters held a march and raised slogans in Agra. BSP workers disrupted traffic on MG road, climbed atop the gate of the collectorate and raised slogans. They also tried to shut shops in the city.

The protesters presented a memorandum to the district magistrate.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (City) Suraj Kumar Rai told reporters, "Supporters of various organisations presented a memorandum to the district magistrate against the Supreme Court ruling." "There was no law and order problem in the city during the protest," he said.

In Kanpur, some shops near the BSP's office were closed while public buses plied as usual.

Similar scenes were witnessed in Unnao, Aligarh, Muzaffarnagar, Sambhal, Jalaun, Etawah, Mathura, Hathras and Gorakhpur, among other districts.

"The BSP will submit a memorandum to the district magistrate because we are opposed to the ending of the reservation, which is being done by the Supreme Court on the instructions of the government," a BSP worker told PTI Video at the party office in Prayagraj.

Protesters blocked a goods train and roads as the daylong ‘Bharat Bandh’ on Wednesday, called by certain Dalit and Adivasi groups against the Supreme Court’s verdict on sub-classification of Scheduled Castes (SCs), evoked mixed reactions across Gujarat.

The effects of the bandh were clearly seen in regions dominated by tribal and Dalit communities in districts like Chhota Udepur, Narmada, Surendranagra, Sabarkantha, and Aravalli where markets in cities and semi-urban areas remained closed.

Protesters blocked a goods train in Wadhwan taluka of Surendranagar district and shouted slogans, with the police reaching the site to disperse the crowd.

Police managed to persuade the protesters to allow the train to ply. The train moved after a forced halt of around an hour and a half and went towards Bhavnagar, officials said.

Protesters at Bhiloda and Shamlaji in Aravalli district blocked roads. Several of them were detained in Patan and Aravali districts while trying to enforce the bandh, officials said.

Shops downed shutters in the main markets in Bhiloda and Shamlaji, with groups taking to the streets to hold demonstrations amid tight police presence.

Similarly, the impact of the bandh call was seen in the towns of Idar and Vijaynagar in the Sabarkantha district where markets, schools and colleges remained closed, with the authorities ordering heavy police deployment to maintain law and order.

Former Union minister and BJP’s prominent tribal leader Faggan Singh Kulaste on Wednesday accused the opposition of politicising the Supreme Court’s ruling about sub-classification within Scheduled Castes, saying the Centre has already clarified its stand on it.

The MP from Mandla (ST) Lok Sabha seat in Madhya Pradesh said, “The judges have given their opinion. I personally along with 60-70 MPs met Prime Minister Narendra Modi on this issue. The PM told us that the creamy layer provision (sub-classification) will not be implemented among SCs and STs.” The Union cabinet has also decided that the “apex court’s opinion” will not be implemented, he told reporters in Bhopal.

“Despite such clarity and decision of the government, people have called for a Bharat Bandh… They are playing politics. Congress played politics in the name of SCs and STs and Mayawati (BSP chief) is also doing the same,” Kulaste said.

He said that former PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee had also protected the reservation.

“There could be an opinion of the judges but the government’s stand is clear on this issue as it will not be implemented,” he said.

A sub-divisional officer (SDO) was accidentally hit by police personnel while managing law and order during Bharat Bandh protests over community-based reservation here on Wednesday.

Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Rajeev Mishra told PTI that while police were lathicharging to disperse protesters blocking traffic at Dak Bunglow Chowk, an officer inadvertently hit the Sadar-Patna SDO, who was leading the force.

Mishra described the incident as a human error, and said the police officer did not recognise the official.

The Patna District Administration later confirmed that the incident was an honest mistake and said no disciplinary action will be taken against the police officer.

The day-long ‘Bharat Bandh’, called by certain Dalit and Adivasi groups against the Supreme Court’s verdict on sub-classification of Scheduled Castes, evoked a mixed response in Chhattisgarh, barring tribal-dominated regions.

Several shops and commercial establishments remained closed in parts of Bastar and Surguja divisions, largely inhabited by tribals, and Mohla-Manpur-Ambagarh Chowki and Dhamtari districts. The shutdown evoked a mixed response in Raipur, Bilaspur, Durg, Rajnandgaon and Korba districts.

Transport services largely remained unaffected. Schools, hospitals and other essential services were kept out of the bandh ambit.

In Dantewada district headquarters, a huge motorcycle rally was organised by members of Sarva Adivasi Samaj (SAS), an umbrella body of tribal organisations.

SAS leader Ballu Bhavani claimed the bandh received a good response in Dantewada with people from various sections of society, including traders, extending their support.

Bhavani said a memorandum addressed to the President, Prime Minister, and Chief Justice of India was submitted at the district collectorate against the "unconstitutional" verdict of the apex court on sub-classification of Scheduled Castes.

The opposition Congress extended its "moral" support to the shutdown and called for addressing concerns of members of ST and SC communities.

"People belonging to ST and SC communities and their organisations have called for Bharat bandh for their legitimate demands, which should be considered sympathetically as it is their Constitutional right. Congress morally supports their agitation," said the state's Congress communication wing head Sushil Anand Shukla.

Vehicular traffic was briefly disrupted in parts of Bihar on Wednesday, as protestors put up blockades in support of the Bharat Bandh called by some groups over community-based reservation.

While protesters disrupted train movement at Darbhanga and Buxar railway stations, police resorted to mild lathi-charge of protestors, who blocked movements of traffic on roads, including some national highways at several locations in Patna, Hajipur, Darbhanga, Jehanabad and Begusarai districts.

A large number of protestors gathered at Darbhanga and Buxar railway stations and stopped Bihar Sampark Kranti and Farakka Express trains for some time. Later, personnel of the Railway Protection Force (RPF) and district police managed to disperse the protestors from the railway stations.

Talking to PTI, Sharswati Chandra, Chief Public Relations Officer (CPRO) of East Central Railway, said, "Protestors disrupted movement of rail traffic at Ara, Chausa (Buxar), Darbhanga, Begusarai and Rajgir for some time in the morning. However, the situation was immediately brought under control and protestors were removed from railway tracks and stations. Now, the movement of trains is normal".

In Patna, police used mild lathi-charge to disperse protestors who blocked movement of traffic at Dak Bungalow chowk of the state capital. Talking to PTI, Rajeev Mishra, Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP), Patna, said, "Security personnel resorted to mild lathi-charge to disperse protestors who blocked movement of traffic at Dak Bungalow chowk and later broke police barricade. No one was injured in the incident. Now the situation is completely under control."

In Jehanabad district, agitators clashed with security personnel when they tried to block movement of traffic on National Highway-83, police said. Five protestors were detained as they tried to disrupt traffic movement on NH-83 near Unta Chowk. They were later removed from the spot and normality was restored, said a police officer.

In Madhepura, Muzaffarpur, Saran, Begusarai, Hajipur, Purnea protestors attempted to block movement of traffic at several places, but security forces promptly dispersed them, police said. Protestors also burnt tyres at several places in these districts and tried to block the movement of traffic.

Independent Lok Sabha MP from Purnea, Rajesh Ranjan alias Pappu Yadav and his supporters also came on the streets of Patna and other places in response to a Supreme Court ruling that allows sub-categorization within SC/ST reservations. Talking to reporters in Purnea, Yadav said, "The NDA government at the Centre is against reservation to the SC/ST and other extremely backward classes. The Centre wants to snatch reservations given to SC/ST and other extremely backward classes." Meanwhile, recruitment exams were underway for the post of constables in Bihar Police, Bihar Special Armed Police and other units in several districts on Wednesday. The state government had earlier instructed police to ensure the smooth transportation of aspirants to the test centres.

The day-long Bharat Bandh had no impact in Assam on Wednesday.

Schools, offices and business establishments functioned normally with almost full attendance across the state.

Vehicular traffic was normal and long-distance buses operated according to their schedules. There were no disruptions to railway services, with all trains running on time.