JD(U)'s 'Bihar bandh' on special status demand affects life

PATNA: The JD(U)-sponsored 'Bihar bandh' on special status demand, on a holiday, evoked good response today paralysing normal life as protesters took to streets disrupting road and rail services.

Chief Minister Nitish Kumar led from the front calling upon people to fight for their dignity.

Enthusiastic JD(U) workers took to streets from early morning forcing closure of shops and market establishments in the districts.

The partymen blamed Centre for ignoring the legitimate demand for special status to Bihar at a time it granted "similar incentives to Seemandhra within 24 hours of carving out last week".

The protesters burnt tyres to block vehicular traffic on busy streets in Patna and the districts and prevented movement of dozens of trains, railway sources said.

Some JD(U) supporters in the state capital stormed into the 'Jai Prakash Narayan International Airport' demanding closure of the ticket counter in support of their agitation against discrimination to Bihar, airport sources said.

Hundreds of intermediate examinees were a harried lot as they failed to catch trains for their examination centre in the districts.

There was no no incident of violence reported from anywhere in Bihar, police sources said.

The Chief Minister later claimed that the shutdown on the special status demand was fully successful as the people participated in the agitation "in a voluntary manner."