'Bihar Bandh' against CAA affects normal life

 The one-day "Bihar bandh" called by Left parties to protest against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) affected normal life in several districts across the state on Thursday.

Traffic was adversely affected during the bandh. The bandh's widespread impact was seen in several districts. Protesters blocked the roads and stopped trains.

Bandh supporters also created ruckus at several places.

Besides the Jan Adhikar Party, the bandh was supported by the Mahagathbandhan parties including Congress, Rashtriya Lok Samta Party (RLSP), Vikassheel Insaan Party (VIP) and Hindustani Awam Morcha (HAM). However, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) didn't take part in the bandh.

Rail services were disrupted on Thursday morning at several places across the state. Trains were stopped at Darbhanga's Laheriasarai, Saharsa, Khagaria, Ara, including Rajendra Nagar terminal in the state capital.

Members of the Jan Adhikar Party and other allies arrived at Rajendra Nagar terminal here in the morning and blocked the railway tracks. Police arrested VIP chief Mukesh Sahni following the agitation.

In Ara, the bandh supporters blocked the National Highway (NH) 30, halting the Patna-Ara road.

Meanwhile, people took to the streets in several districts including Patna, Bhagalpur, Purnia.

As precautionary measures, most schools in the state capital were closed.

In Hajipur and Purnia, the bandh supporters blocked roads. Slogans against the CAA and NRC were raised by the Left parties during the bandh.

In districts Kaimur, Madhepura, Bhagalpur, Muzaffarpur and Rohtas, the bandh supporters took to the streets and protested against the CAA.

The Saharsa-Samastipur train was stopped by the supporters for over half an hour. At the Laheriasarai railway station in Darbhanga, protesters stopped the Kamla-Ganga Intercity Express.

During the bandh, the bandh supporters forcibly shut shops in Patna and Ara and targeted many vehicles. Clashes were reported between bandh supporters and shopkeepers in Khagaria.

CPI leader and former JNU student Kanhaiya Kumar took to the streets of Patna and lashed out at the central government. Jan Adhikar Party chief Pappu Yadav raised "Azadi" slogans.

Protesters called the bandh a "complete success".IANS