Left's Bihar bandh call evokes mixed response

PATNA: The Left parties-sponsored Bihar bandh in protest against police firing in Bagaha subdivision evoked mixed response across the state on Thursday. Eight Tharu tribals were killed in the firing on Monday.
Almost all the market complexes as well as shops remained open throughout the day in the state capital. Normal vehicular traffic was seen on the city streets.
ADG (law and order) S K Bhardwaj said that 336 bandh supporters were arrested, including 300 in the state capital alone.
In the state capital, several bandh protagonists, including CPI-ML supremo Dipankar Bhattacharya, Rajaram Singh, K D Yadav, Saroj Chaubey, Anita Sinha, Kamlesh Sharma, Abhyuday took out a rally from Gandhi Maidan, which after passing through the main thoroughfares of the city terminated at Dak Bungalow roundabout.
Later, talking to reporters at the Dak Bungalow roundabout, CPI-ML general secretary Dipankar Bhattacharya demanded a CBI or judicial inquiry into the firing incident. He also said a criminal case should be lodged against the DM and SP concerned.
Members of the Bihar State Council of CPI also claimed that the bandh was totally successful in different parts of the state. Party spokesman Rajendra Prasad Singh demanded a compensation of Rs 10 lakh each to the family of the deceased besides a government job for their dependents. The party has also demanded action against the guilty police officials.
The bandh supporters blocked vehicular traffic for several hours at Dak Bungalow crossing, shouting anti- Nitish government slogans. Later, they courted arrest.
According to reports reaching here from different parts of the state, bandh supporters targeted rail traffic at various points including Darbhanga, Ara, Jehanabad, Madhubani, Nawada, Siwan, Bettiah and Nalanda. The vehicular traffic was also disrupted on Patna-Arwal, Jehanabad-Arwal, Gaya-Patna, Gaya-Bela, Ara-Sasaram, Dehri-Bikramganj sections.
Motihari: The bandh call evoked mixed response in East Champaran district. All the markets and shops remained open and road and rail traffic remained normal. On the other hand, on the first day of the six-day bandh called by the Maoists, the majority of shops were closed at Patahi, Fenehara, Rajepur and Madhuban police stations areas and buses were off the roads.
Ara: Almost all the schools, colleges and business establishments were closed and buses and trucks were off the road, while some light vehicles were seen plying on the road. Though government offices and the civil court were open, attendance was poor. The bandh supporters took out a procession, which passed through the main thoroughfares of the city. They also forced the traders to down their shutters.
They also squatted on the rail track and stopped Buxar-Islampur passenger at Ara railway station for about two hours. They blocked the Ara-Patna main road near Patel bus stand and Ara-Mohania main road near Isarhi village for about six hours by putting hurdles and burning of tyres on the roads.