 "Bharat Bandh gets mixed response; scuffle in Bihar's Patna: Top updates")
Bharat Bandh 2024 latest updates: The one-day nationwide strike call by dalits and adivasi communities led to partial disruption in rail and road services in the states of Bihar, Jharkhand, Odisha and Rajasthan on Wednesday.
The National Confederation of Dalit and Adivasi Organisations (NACDAOR) has called for the ‘Bharat Bandh’ to protest the Supreme Court’s August 1 ruling that permits sub-classification within scheduled castes and scheduled tribes.
The body, while opposing the SC’s view, has listed its demands seeking greater representation and inclusion of the marginalised sections into mainstream society.
Latest updates on Bharat Bandh on August 21:
1) Rail services were hit in Bihar and Odisha. Visuals emerged from Bihar capital Patna, showing the members of the Bhim Army blocking some roads in view of the protest.
2) The Patna traffic police, on its social handle X (formerly Twitter), said that Bihta Chowk in Patna is completely impacted due to the bandh call. Police was seen lathicharging protestors after a scuffle broke out over the protests during the afternoon hours in the capital. On the development, Deputy SP Patna, Ashok Kumar Singh said that the police had to use "mild force" as the protestors had taken law and oder into their hands.
3) Roads near DRM (Divisional Railway Manager) office in Danapur, Bihar were also impacted by the bandh.
4) The agitators have also stopped the Darbhanga-Delhi Bihar Sampark Express train at the Darbhanga railway station. The police were seen trying to dissuade the protestors sitting on the tracks at the station.
5) In Jharkhand, private bus services remained suspended in Ranchi, causing inconvenience to the commuters.
6) In tribal-dominated Odisha, some rail and road services were partially hit because of the protests but the government offices, banks, business establishments and educational institutions were functioning normally, police said.
7) In Rajasthan’s Jaipur, Rapid Action Force was seen patrolling the streets ahead of the march organised by the dalit organisations from the city's Albert Hall.
8) Earlier in the day, a scuffle also broke out between the security forces and the bandh supporters in Jehanabad, Bihar, prompting the police to detain some of the agitators.
Some political parties like the Samajwadi Party and the Bahujan Samaj Party have extended their support to the agitation.