Bihar: Vehicular traffic disrupted in some districts due to Bharat Bandh over SC-ST reservation

Pic/PTI

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.

In Jehanabad district, agitators clashed with security personnel when they tried to block movement of traffic on National Highway-83, police said.

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"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 Hulas Baitha, Sub-Inspector, Town police station, reported PTI.

In Madhepura and Muzaffarpur, too, protestors attempted to block movement of traffic at several places, but security forces promptly dispersed them, police said, reported PTI.

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, reported PTI.

The Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and other partners of the INDIA bloc have extended their support to the Bharat Bandh, reported PTI.

Twenty-one organisations across the country have called for the Bharat Bandh against the Supreme Court's August 1 decision on the issue of SC-ST reservation. The organisations have opposed the verdict, contending that it will harm the basic principles of reservation.

Meanwhile, the day-long Bharat bandh called by some Dalit and Adivasi groups to protest against the Supreme Court's recent verdict on the sub-classification of Scheduled Castes (SCs) partially affected rail and road communications in Odisha on Wednesday, reported PTI.

Government offices, banks, business establishments and educational institutions are functioning normally, police said.

The Home department in a note on Tuesday, " .... advised officers and employees of various departments working in the state secretariat and heads of department building to reach office by 9.30 am," reported PTI.

Security has been beefed up in the state secretariat, heads of department building and other important places in the state.

The agitators detained trains at Bhubaneswar and Sambalpur while passenger buses did not operate on different routes. The protestors also staged demonstrations in different places and blocked several roads including national highways.

The agitators detained Visakha express at Bhubaneswar railway station for some time, they also blocked Sambalpur-Puri and Sambalpur-Rayagada trains at Khetrajpur station in Sambalpur. However, the train operation became normal after the police evacuated the agitators from the track.

Reports of road blockade were also received from Cuttack, Sambalpur, Bolangir, Malkangiri, Sundergarh, Keonjhar and other places.

(With inputs from PTI)