Rail, road traffic disrupted during Bihar bandh

PATNA: Rail and road services were today hit as stray incidents of stone pelting were reported in Bihar during a 24-hour bandh called by opposition parties to protest Saturday's police firing in Madhubani district.

RJD president Lalu Prasad and LJP chief Ramvilas Paswan who took out protest marches in the state capital here were also arrested, police said.

Traffic was disrupted by the processions in the state capital by the protest marches.

CPI-ML and RJD workers pelted stones on the Shramjeevi Express at Biharsharif station injuring the driver, a report from Nalanda said.

A seriously ill person who was being taken to hospital died because the ambulance was held up in a traffic jam, a Samastipur report said.

East Central Railway Zone, CPRO, Amitabh Prabhakar said that trains were stranded at Jehanabad, Sheikhpura, Darbhanga and Madhubani.

A Madhubani report said that protestors halted the Saheed Express.

Government and private offices and shops and markets were open in the state capital. Schools and educational institutions were, however, closed.

Youth Congress President Lalan Kumar was also on the streets campaigning against 'mis-governance' under JD(U)-BJP rule.

The bandh, also against deteriorating law and order in the state, was called by CPI-ML, CPI and CPI(M) with RJD, LJP and Congress supporting it.

Police had opened fire on demonstrators at Jainagar in Madhubani district on Saturday who were protesting the abduction and killing of a school student Prashant Kumar last month.