Patna, March 23 The opposition Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) on Tuesday created a ruckus in the state capital Patna during the Bihar Assembly gherao programme. Amid this RJD protest march, there was heavy stone pelting by the RJD workers forcing the police to use water cannons to disperse the protesters.
Thousands of RJD supporters went on the rampage and damaged private and government property.
RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav, who was leading the protest along with his elder brother Tej Pratap Yadav, was arrested at Patna's Dak Bungalow Chowk.
The RJD had announced the siege of the Assembly on Tuesday to protest against rising unemployment, corruption, inflation and several other issues in Bihar. The local administration had denied permission to the RJD to lay siege to the Assembly. Despite this a large number of RJD workers gathered near Gandhi Maidan and started marching towards the Assembly.
The protest march started from the Patna railway station and when Tejashwi Yadav and Tej Pratap reached Dak Bungalow Chowk, RJD workers turned violent.
The police tried to stop these protesters by putting up barricades but they continued to create a ruckus.
The protesters then broke through the barricades and marched ahead. During this time there was stone pelting by the RJD supporters at the Dak Bungalow Chowk.
A police official said initially attempts were made to talk to the RJD supporters but they did not listen and started hurling stones at the police.
Several policemen and journalists were injured in the stone pelting. The situation turned so ugly that Tejashwi Yadav who was arrested by the Patna police, stepped down from his van and urged the RJD workers to eschew violence on the streets.
RJD leaders said that many party workers were injured in the lathicharge by the police.
Mritunjay Tiwari, the RJD Spokesperson, said some anti-social elements posing as RJD supporters were involved in the violence.
"We want a thorough inquiry into the matter and demand CCTV and video footage of violence to identify the accused. RJD supporters have no role in it," Tiwari added.
Most of the shops around Dak Bungalow Chowk and Gandhi Maidan were closed due to the protests. The protesters also broke the glass panes of several vehicles.
( With inputs from IANS )
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