Bihar Bandh Today: Grand Alliance Protests Lathicharge on RLSP Chief Upendra Kushwaha; Security Beefed up

However, schools, colleges and emergency services including ambulances, will reportedly be spared from the purview of the bandh. 

New Delhi: A multi-layer security cover has been put in place by the Bihar government as Mahagatbandhan (Grand Alliance) in the state called for Bihar bandh to protest against the alleged police lathicharge on Rashtriya Lok Samata Party (RLSP) chief and former Union Minister Upendra Kushwaha.

“All SSPs and SPs have been directed to ensure the maintenance of law and order during the bandh. hooliganism will not be tolerated at any cost”, said DGP Gupteshwar Pandey. However, schools, colleges and emergency services including ambulances will reportedly be spared from the purview of the bandh.

Gaya: Rashtriya Lok Samta Party has called bandh over lathi charge by police on its workers in Patna during Jan Akrosh Rally on Saturday #Bihar pic.twitter.com/vrJ6T0UMGY

— ANI (@ANI) February 4, 2019

Earlier on Saturday, Kushwaha and half-a-dozen RLSP activists were injured in a police lathicharge  during party’s ‘Aakrosh March’ in Patna. Kushwaha had sustained injuries in his head, leg and and hand. He was taken to Patna Medical College Hospital (PMCH) and discharged after initial treatment.

“The police first used water cannon to disperse the protesting Rashriya Lok Samata Party (RLSP) leaders and workers followed by a lathicharge,” IANS quoted party spokesperson Madhav Anand as saying.  Furthermore, he had blamed Chief Minister Nitish Kumar for the police action and claimed that the police deliberately attacked Kushwaha. The RLSP’s protest highlighted the alleged collapse of school and higher education system in the state.

Last year, Kushwaha had grabbed limelight after he walked out of the BJP-led NDA and joined the ‘grand alliance’ of RJD, Congress and Hindustani Awam Morcha led by former Bihar Chief Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi.