PTI, PATNA: About 600 persons were today rounded up across Bihar during a day-long bandh called by the Left organisations to protest against Muzaffarpur shelter home sex scandal and alleged atrocities against dalits.
The bandh evoked a mixed response with arrests being reported from four districts.
Supported by other opposition parties like the RJD and the Congress, the bandh resulted in disruption of rail and road traffic in several districts.
Smaller parties like Hindustani Awam Morcha, Loktantrik Janta Dal (floated by former JD(U) president Sharad Yadav) and NCP also lent support to the bandh, seen by political observers as coming together of non-NDA parties ahead of the 2019 general elections.
According to a release issued by state police headquarters, a total of 598 persons were arrested across the state. Notably, arrests were reported from only four districts.
The maximum number of arrests took place in Saran (328), followed by Madhubani (210), Nawada (35) and Katihar (25).
CPI(ML) state secretary Kunal, in a statement, thanked the people of Bihar for what he termed “success” of the dawn-to-dusk shutdown.
He also demanded resignation of Union Minister for Women and Child Development Maneka Gandhi over the issue of “disappearance” of 11 women from a “Sva Adhar Grih” (home for self dependent women) at Muzaffarpur, which was run by the same NGO that controlled the shelter home for girls.
He said “Sva Adhar Grih” was set up as part of a central scheme and the alleged disappearance of inmates was because of “ineffective laws and poor monitoring”.
