Patna,(BiharTimes): First the RJD extended the date of bandh (shutdown) from December 18 to 21––perhaps keeping in mind that it was a counting day for Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh polls. Now it has assured that it would be a peaceful bandh as Prakash Utsav is to follow soon.
Party chief Lalu Prasad said it would be a peaceful Bihar bandh. The Bypass and the Patna City area, including the gurdwara area where the Sikh community has gathered, would be exempted from the bandh. Instructions have been issued to workers and leaders not to disturb the areas where the Sikh community would take part in the Prakash Utsav.
Lalu’s instruction followed criticism by JD(U) spokesmen Sanjay Singh and Neeraj Kumar. They claimed that while chief minister Nitish Kumar rescheduled his Vikas Samiksha Yatra for the Prakash Utsav RJD is giving a call for shutdown.
The shutdown call, as reported, has been given in protest against the new sand sale policy of the state government.
However, RJD hit back at the JD(U) by stating that the Yatra was not rescheduled because of Prakash Utsav whose date was announced long back. It was put off because Nitish was facing a lot of opposition from the people. “Was the chief minister not aware of the date of Prakash Utsav before planning his Yatra?” the RJD asked adding that the JD(U) is just trying to befool the people and pilgrims by changing the dates of Yatra.
