Bihar: After Police Attack, Opposition Mahagathbandhan Calls for Bihar Bandh on March 26

Patna: Deeply hurt by the police action against Opposition Mahagathbandhan MLAs inside the Bihar Assembly two days ago, RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav on Thursday announced a Bihar Bandh on March 26 in protest and said the day will be observed as a “black day”.

Tejashwi has declared his party’s support to the farmer unions’ call for a Bharat Bandh on March 26 against the Centre’s Farm Laws. “There will be a Bharat Bandh tomorrow on the farmers’ issue and we will support it. The Mahagathbandhan has also decided upon a Bihar Bandh on Friday to protest against the police action against opposition MLAs, unemployment, rising prices and the Farm Laws,” he said.

He urged people of the state to support the Bihar Bandh and make it a “historic” protest day. Bihar is likely to witness a total strike on the day of the Bharat Bandh against the three laws.

Left parties, including the CPI (Communist Party of India), CPI(M), and CPI(ML), which are part of the Mahagathbandhan, had announced their support to the farmer unions’ call for a Bharat Bandh against the farm laws, and will join the Bihar Bandh.

While addressing a press conference here Tejashwi slammed the NDA government led by Nitish Kumar on the Bihar Special Armed Police Bill, 2021. “We will not sit in silence; our protests against the Bill will continue till the government either withdraws it or will make an amendment to it. The Mahagathbandhan is not scared of police action,” he added.

He also questioned Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s justification of police action against opposition members inside the assembly, and asked him to whether it was the first time that there was opposition to any bill in the state assembly. Police action against opposition members in the assembly has been reported for the first time.

He said the Bill was passed in the state assembly with the help of the police that beat up, abused and misbehaved with Opposition Mahagathbandhan MLAs who were opposing the Bill. The Bill, introduced by the Nitish Kumar government, has apparently been introduced to give its police more teeth. The government claimed it was necessary in view of the increasingly complex security needs of the state.

The Opposition, however, termed it a “black” legislation, taking strong exception to provisions that empower the Special Armed Police, previously known as the Bihar Military Police, to conduct searches and arrests without producing a warrant.

A day after anti-riot police personnel (of the Rapid Action Force) entered the Bihar Assembly, allegedly misbehaving, abusing, beating and forcefully ejecting opposition MLAs who were opposing the passage of the Bihar Special Armed Police Bill, 2021, opposition members on Wednesday refused to go inside the assembly and boycotted proceedings.

The Bill was, nonetheless, passed by the assembly late on Tuesday evening, well past the stipulated time, amid a “walkout” by opposition MLAs who squatted outside the building and raised slogans, slighted by the manner in which they were ousted from the hall by the men in uniform.