Bihar Bandh: The National Democratic Alliance (NDA) on Wednesday enforced a five-hour bandh across Bihar, protesting alleged derogatory remarks made against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his late mother during a Mahagathbandhan rally in Darbhanga last week.
The shutdown, which began at 7 am and is scheduled to continue until 12 noon, saw Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) workers staging demonstrations in Patna and several other districts. While political tempers flared, essential services have been kept outside the bandh’s ambit.
BJP’s Bihar president, Dilip Jaiswal, clarified that medical services and railway operations would not be disrupted. “Essential services, including hospitals and railways, will remain unaffected. The BJP Mahila Morcha is leading the agitation across the state,” he said.
Jaiswal further described the comments made at the Darbhanga rally as “objectionable and deeply insulting”, demanding an apology from the opposition alliance.
Echoing similar sentiments, Janata Dal (United) leader Umesh Kushwaha condemned the language used during the rally. “Abusive words were used against Prime Minister Modi and his mother. This is wrong, morally and politically,” he told ANI.
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He criticised the INDIA bloc leaders for not expressing regret, adding, “This shows how arrogant they are. They have insulted our mothers and sisters, and now we will retaliate. Therefore, the NDA has called for a Bihar bandh, and the women’s wing will hold protests across the state.”
A day earlier, Prime Minister Modi responded to the controversy during a public rally, indirectly targeting Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and RJD’s Tejashwi Yadav by labelling them as "naamdaar" (dynasts) born with privilege.
“The struggles of a poor mother, the suffering of her son, these young princes born into royal families cannot understand. For them, power in Bihar and the country feels like a family inheritance,” the Prime Minister said, invoking emotional imagery that has since become the NDA's rallying cry.
The 25-year-old man accused of hurling the abuses in the viral video has been arrested. However, the INDIA bloc has distanced itself from the incident, stating that the individual has no links to any of its affiliated parties.
What’s Closed During Bihar Bandh
1. All schools, colleges, and coaching centres are shut across the state.
2. Government offices and most private businesses remain closed.
3. Intercity bus services have been suspended in several districts, severely affecting mobility.
4. Protesters have blocked roads in multiple areas, leading to widespread traffic disruptions.
What’s Open During Bihar Bandh
1. Hospitals, ambulance services, clinics, and pharmacies are fully operational.
2. Daily essentials such as groceries, milk, vegetables, and fuel outlets remain open.
3. Rail services have been specifically excluded from the bandh to avoid inconvenience.
4. The bandh comes amid intensifying political friction in Bihar ahead of the upcoming Assembly elections, with the NDA portraying the incident as a broader insult to Indian mothers and demanding accountability from the opposition.
With inputs from ANI
