Patna— The Bihar bandh called by the Mahagathbandhan opposition coalition turned into a massive display of public dissent on Wednesday, with large parts of the state witnessing train halts, road blockades, and market shutdowns. The protest, coinciding with a nationwide ‘chakka jam’ against the four labour codes, aimed to highlight growing discontent over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and the deteriorating law and order situation in Bihar.
🔴 Rahul Gandhi Leads the Charge
The highlight of the protest was Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, who led a march to the Election Commission (EC) office in Patna, flanked by RJD’s Tejashwi Yadav, CPI’s D Raja, CPI(M)’s MA Baby, and CPI(ML)’s Dipankar Bhattacharya.
Rahul Gandhi accused the BJP of attempting to “steal the election” through the SIR, likening it to “votebandi”, drawing a parallel with the 2016 demonetisation (notebandi). “This is a direct attempt to disenfranchise millions, especially the poor and marginalised. The EC is acting on BJP’s orders,” Gandhi said, waving a red copy of the Constitution.
Tejashwi Yadav echoed his sentiment, calling the EC a “puppet commission”. Dipankar Bhattacharya described the process as deliberately exclusionary.
🚧 Statewide Impact: Road & Rail Blockades
The bandh brought life to a standstill in many districts:
- Rail traffic was disrupted at over seven key locations, halting major trains like Shramjeevi Express and Bibhuti Express.
- Road blockades were reported on NH-22, NH-20, NH-30, and NH-19, with tyre burnings and protests in Patna, Muzaffarpur, Madhubani, Nawada, Vaishali, Ara, and Siwan.
- Protesters in Vaishali used buffaloes to block highways, while in Darbhanga, RJD supporters demonstrated shirtless.
- In Muzaffarpur, major junctions were blocked, and markets shut.
- Markets and schools in several regions remained closed, including parts of Champaran, Gaya, Purnia, and Motihari.
🛡️ Security Measures
Despite the scale of protests, law and order was largely maintained. Additional Director General (Law and Order) Pankaj Darad said, “All preventive measures were taken. No major untoward incident was reported.”
🏛️ Backdrop of Controversy
The bandh came a day before the Supreme Court’s hearing on petitions challenging the SIR, a voter verification drive notified on June 24. The Opposition argues that:
- The drive is a deliberate attempt to disenfranchise voters, especially among Dalits and other marginalised groups.
- The timing—ahead of the 2025 Bihar Assembly elections—is suspicious.
- The criteria for verification are burdensome and unclear.
They’ve labeled it a “constitutional fraud”, undermining democratic participation.