Bharat Band News: During the Bharat Bandh in Gopalganj, Bihar, a mob attacked a school bus with children onboard, attempting to set it on fire. The incident, part of protests organized by Dalit and Adivasi groups against a recent Supreme Court ruling on reservations for Scheduled Castes and Tribes, was narrowly averted as police and district authorities intervened just in time, preventing a major tragedy.
The mob, armed with sticks, gathered in the area as part of the Bharat Bandh, with visuals showing the yellow school bus surrounded by the crowd while a man set a tire ablaze beneath the vehicle. Several burning tires were also scattered on the road, obstructing the bus’s passage. An ambulance was also stuck in the traffic jam caused by the mob’s actions.
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Bihar: During the Bharat Bandh in Gopalganj, agitators set fire at Arar More in the city.
During this, when a school bus full of children passed by, some protesters stopped the bus and attempted to set it on fire pic.twitter.com/DVYxIHIIzy
— IANS (@ians_india) August 21, 2024
Gopalganj Superintendent of Police, Swarn Prabhat, informed NDTV that the area had been on high alert due to the Bharat Bandh, with the police using drone cameras to identify some of the individuals causing trouble. He added, “I have instructed the police station to file FIRs against the identified troublemakers and send those who attempted to set the bus on fire to jail.” Security has since been tightened in the area, with a large police force and magistrates deployed at various locations throughout the town.
In Patna, police resorted to lathi-charging protestors believed to be Bhim Army members during a Bharat Bandh demonstration at Dak Bungalow Chowk. The police also used water cannons to disperse the large crowd that had gathered with posters and flags to express their opposition.
Meanwhile, in Purnea, the protests gained momentum with support from Independent MP Rajesh Ranjan, also known as Pappu Yadav. He advocated for the inclusion of quotas in the 9th Schedule of the Indian Constitution, offering additional protection to these provisions.
Protests were also reported in Darbhanga, Hajipur, Jehanabad, Nawada, and other districts across Bihar. The one-day Bharat Bandh was organized by the Aarakshan Bachao Sangharsh Samiti in response to the recent Supreme Court ruling, which suggested that state governments could further classify Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes and create separate quotas for those considered more backward within these categories. This decision has sparked widespread concern, with many fearing it could fragment the rights and protections afforded to these marginalized communities.
The Bharat Bandh, aimed at safeguarding the rights of SCs and STs, garnered support from the INDIA bloc’s alliance partners, including the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), Vikassheel Insaan Party (VIP), and various social organizations like the Bhim Army.
