Train services disrupted during ABVP bandh, 467 held

Movement of over 15 trains were disrupted at different places and 467 protestors held during a 24-hour Bihar bandh called by Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), student wing of BJP today.
The bandh was called to protest against police lathicharge and firing during ABVP's Vidhan Sabha march on March 26 here in which several ABVP members and policemen were injured.
Road traffic was disrupted, vehicles damaged and shops forcibly closed at several places in the state during the bandh.
467 persons were taken into preventive detention, Additional Director General of Police (HQ) Gupteshwar Pandey told PTI.
The maximum number of detentions - 93 were made in Aurangabad, followed by Darbhanga - 72, Patna - 58 and Vaishali - 40, he said.

Patna senior superintendent of police Jitendra Rana in a statement said 58 agitators were held in the district from different places during the bandh for trying to damage government and private vehicles and properties.

Chief Public Relations Officer East Central Railways, Arvind Kumar Rajak said movement of over 15 trains for short durations were disturbed in about six places during the bandh.
Patna Rail SP Prakash Nath Mishra said several passenger trains, South Bihar Express, Toofan Express, Mahabodhi Express, Patliputra Express and Farakka Express were stopped by ABVP activists at different places in Patna, Aurangabad, Jehanabad, Bhojpur and Gaya districts.

The bandh was supported by BJP which raised the matter in legislative council and forced adjournment of the house till 2.30 p m in the first half.
Later, leader of Opposition Sushil Kumar Modi told reporters that Nitish Kumar government was dealing with student protestors in the manner it takes on criminals.
He alleged that state police chief P K Thakur himself visited Patna Medical College and Hospital and coerced the injured ABVP workers to change their statement on the police lathicharge.
The march on that day was to protest against deterioration in education system in Bihar. Mass scale cheating in matriculation examination highlighted by visuals showing parents and relatives climbing three to four storeyed buildings to provide chits to their wards had gone viral and drew the nation's attention.