RJD, JD(U) protest against CAA; Kishor's tweet triggers common ground

Lalu Prasad's Rashtriya Janata Dal on Saturday called a shutdown in Bihar against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act that was given full support and joined in by their on-and-off friend and Chief Minister Nitish Kumar-led Janata Dal (United).

In fact JD(U) Vice President and poll strategist Prashant Kishor's tweet against the Congress triggered a bonhomie between the two former allies.

Kishor tweeted: "Congress is not on streets and its top leadership has been largely absent in the citizens' fight against CAA-NRC...The least party could do it to make ALL Congress CMs join other CMs who have said that they will not allow NRC in their states. Or else these statements means nothing."

Congress chief Sonia Gandhi on Friday in a Twitter video had termed the CAA "a biased Act" and attacked the government.

Meanwhile, the protest against the CAA in Bihar spelled trouble for people on Saturday as protesters blocked road and train traffic. Incidents of arson were also reported at many places.

Other partners of the grand alliance -- Rashtriya Lok Samta Party, Vikassheel Insaan Party and Hindustani Awam Morcha -- also joined the protest.

Members of the VIP and other parties reached at Rajendra Nagar Terminal in Patna and blocked railway tracks. The protesters also jammed the National Highway-2 in Aurangabad that lead to snarls of vehicles. Besides, protesters took to streets in Patna, Araria, Aara, Bhagalpur, Samastipur, Vaishali etc. and did arson along with anti-government sloganeering.

Similar incidents were also reported from various parts of the state.IANS