A shutdown call given by Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), the students’ wing of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), disrupted normal life in Bihar on Monday.
The ABVP activists blocked railway tracks and took to streets carrying saffron flags and shouting slogans against the state government. They also accused the state government of sorry state of affairs in colleges and universities.
“Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad has given the call for shutdown across all villages and districts against the ill-treatment meted out to students by the Bihar Government. We condemn the fact that Chief Minister Nitish Kumar is busy celebrating ‘Bihar Day’ while universities lack basic amenities like toilets and water,” said Ashish Sinha, an ABVP member.
“We will take forward the demands of students and we are not even scared of the police,” he added.
The shops remain shut and roads wore a deserted. The ABVP members even clashed with the police personnel deployed on duty.
The shutdown call was given by the students against a previous protest, which was held on Thursday, when the police had baton-charged the ABVP members protesting against the brazen incident of cheating.
According to reports, around 100 ABVP activists were injured in Thursday’s protest as they pelted stones at the police personnel who in turn resorted to baton charging and tear gas firing to disperse the mob.
The matter was also raised in the Bihar Assembly by the BJP on Friday. (ANI)