Manas Dasgupta
NEW DELHI, Aug 21: A Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) of Patna on Wednesday became the victim of a police lathi-charge in trying to disperse a violent mob during the “Bharat Bandh” to protest against the alleged sub-quota within the scheduled caste and tribe reservations in Bihar’s capital city.
The SDM Shrikant Kundlik Khandekar was standing on the middle of the road and was dispersing the protestors when suddenly a Patna Police cop hit him with his baton amid the chaos during the lathi charge against the protesters who stormed the roads and streets in Patna.
As per the visuals shared on social media platform X, the cop mistakenly hit SDM. As soon as the baton hit the bureaucrat, he was seen agitated and other policemen present at the scene quickly stopped the cop and explained him who the person was. The jawans then escorted the SDM away from the scene. The incident quickly went viral, leading to a wave of humorous responses on social media.
Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Rajeev Mishra later said while police were lathi-charging to disperse protesters blocking traffic at Dak Bunglow Chowk, an officer inadvertently hit the Sadar-Patna SDO, who was leading the force. The Patna District Administration later confirmed that the incident was an honest mistake and said no disciplinary action would be taken against the police officer.
While life by and large remained normal and barring Patna, reports of violence has not been received from any other parts of the country during the band, its effects, however, were clearly seen in regions dominated by tribal and Dalit communities in various states. In Gujarat, markets in cities and semi-urban areas remained closed. The day-long Bharat Bandh evoked a mixed reaction in Jharkhand and Rajasthan, as vehicular movement was briefly disrupted, several public buses stayed off the roads and schools, markets remained closed.
In Patna, the police were forced to use a mild lathi-charge to disperse protestors who blocked movement of traffic at Dak Bungalow Chowk of the state capital. The SSP Patna, said the lathi charge was done to disperse the protestors broke police barricade and disrupted the vehicular traffic.
“Security personnel resorted to mild lathi-charge to disperse protestors who blocked movement of traffic at Dak Bungalow Chowk and later broke police barricade. No one was injured in the incident. Now the situation is completely under control,” he said.
Vehicular traffic was briefly disrupted in parts of Bihar on Wednesday, as protestors put up blockades in support of the Bharat Bandh. While protesters disrupted train movement at Darbhanga and Buxar railway stations, police resorted to lathi-charge of protestors, who blocked movements of traffic on roads, including some national highways at several locations in Patna, Hajipur, Darbhanga, Jehanabad and Begusarai districts.
Twenty-one organisations across the country have called for the Bharat Bandh against the Supreme Court’s August 1 decision on the issue of SC-ST reservation. The organisations have opposed the verdict, contending that it would harm the basic principles of reservation.
The Congress, the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha, the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and other partners of the INDIA bloc have extended their support to the bandh. Independent Lok Sabha MP from Purnea, Rajesh Ranjan alias Pappu Yadav and his supporters also came on the streets in response to a Supreme Court ruling that allows sub-categorization within SC/ST reservations.
Former Union Minister and BJP’s prominent tribal leader, Faggan Singh Kulaste accused the opposition of politicising the Supreme Court’s order saying the Centre has already clarified its stand on it.
The National Confederation of Dalit and Adivasi Organisations (NACDAOR) has taken an opposing view to the SC judgement by a seven-judge bench that, according to them, undermines the earlier ruling of a nine-judge bench in the landmark Indira Sawhney case, which established the framework for reservations in India.
Union Minister of State and BJP leader BL Verma stated that those participating in the strike lacked clear motives. He said, “Those who are doing this, even if they don’t know why they are doing so. The respect that SCs and STs have under PM Modi government and he also has made clear his stand about the reservation that no one can touch reservations, but the opposition is diverting the people.”