Police resorted to a lathi charge in Bihar, Patna as protesters took to the streets in support of a day-long Bharat Bandh, opposing the Supreme Court's recent judgment on reservations.
There was a ruckus in Bihar's capital city Patna during the Bharat Bandh as bandh protesters clashed with the city police. The police resorted to a lathi-charge to disperse the crowd. The procession of protesters was moving ahead from Gandhi Maidan when barricades were set up near JP Golambar in Patna. However, the bandh supporters broke through the barricades and continued moving forward.
Watch:
India experienced a nationwide shutdown today, August 21, as Dalit and Adivasi groups organized a 'Bharat Bandh' to protest the Supreme Court's recent ruling on SC/ST reservations. The ruling allows states to create sub-categories within Scheduled Castes (SC) and Scheduled Tribes (ST) for reservation purposes.
The police attempted to stop them, but the protesters pressed on and reached Dak Bungalow Square. To control the situation and prevent the bandh supporters from advancing further, the police had to resort to a lathi charge.
The Bharat Bandh, called by the Reservation Bachao Sangharsh Samiti and various organisations, including opposition parties is having its major impact in Bihar. Protesters took to the streets from Wednesday morning, affecting train and bus services. There have been reports of trains being halted at several locations.