BJP dubs RJD's 'Bihar Bandh' as total failure

PATNA: Describing the RJD-sponsored Bihar bandh as a total failure, the BJP slammed largescale violence by bandh supporters and said it rekindled "jungle raj" that had besieged Bihar during the 15-year rule of the RJD even as it charged Chief Minister Nitish Kumar with giving a helping hand to enforce the shutdown.

The 'Bihar Bandh' called by the RJD was a gross failure as the masses stayed away from shutdown doing their normal chores throughout the state, senior BJP leader Nandkishore Yadav told reporters.

Having failed to garner public support for the bandh, the RJD supporters indulged in largescale violence by beating up road users, street vendors, smashing window panes of vehicles moving on the road with lathis and tearing down hoardings, banners and posters of the BJP and RJD during the day, he alleged.

While the RJD supporters freely roamed on the streets of Patna and elsewhere taking law into their own hands, the policemen remained mute spectators under instruction from the JD(U) government and the chief minister himself, Yadav, Leader of Opposition in the Legislative Assembly, alleged.

"The new generation of youths who had only heard about 'jungle raj from their parents have seen it all for themselves today and they could make out what type of governance they will get if the RJD and JD(U) get to rule Bihar after the assembly polls," Yadav said.

The state unit BJP president Mangal Pandey also echoed identical views saying that the bandh supporters not only attacked the public for not joining in their agitation, but also broke all limits of political decency by razing down banners and posters of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and rival parties like the BJP and LJP during enforcement of bandh.

Pandey regretted that even the Patna High Court judges were not spared and prevented from reaching court for work by the bandh supporters. He said that the judges had taken up the matter.