The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) enforced a five-hour bandh across Bihar on Wednesday, September 4, protesting alleged derogatory remarks made against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his mother during the Opposition’s Voter Adhikar Yatra in Darbhanga last week. The bandh, led prominently by the party’s women’s wing, was observed from 7 a.m. to 12 noon.
Despite assurances that essential services would remain unaffected, several incidents of violence and disruption were reported across districts. While petrol pumps, hospitals, and medical shops functioned normally, schools, colleges, coaching centres, intercity bus services, government offices, and private establishments stayed closed. Road traffic was hit by widespread blockades.
BJP leaders, including state president Dilip Kumar Jaiswal, legislators, and ministers, joined the protest. The party said women were leading the agitation as a symbolic retaliation after insults were hurled at mothers and sisters during the opposition march.
Deputy Chief Minister Vijay Kumar Sinha renewed demands for apologies from Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav.
Prime Minister Modi, addressing a public event earlier this week, also appeared to allude to the controversy, targeting the INDIA bloc leaders as people born with a silver spoon who cannot understand the struggles of poor mothers.
However, the bandh was marred by clashes and reports of misconduct by BJP workers.
In Jehanabad, a woman teacher was assaulted, while in Patna, an ambulance carrying a pregnant woman was blocked. Similar disruptions were reported in Rohtas, where schoolchildren were forced to return home, and in Bhagalpur, where journalists and YouTubers alleged they were manhandled and their equipment was damaged.
Even a police jeep and the escort vehicle of a sitting judge were stopped near Patna’s Dak Bunglow roundabout.
The Opposition condemned the violence, accusing BJP workers of misbehaving with women and manhandling teachers, students, and journalists. The Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) alleged that BJP supporters not only obstructed a pregnant woman’s hospital journey but also used abusive language against Congress leader Sonia Gandhi during the protests.
Meanwhile, key NDA allies remained conspicuously absent from the agitation. LJP chief Chirag Paswan was busy with his own rally in Muzaffarpur, and Chief Minister Nitish Kumar attended a government function in Saran.
While the BJP claimed the bandh was a resounding success, Opposition leaders questioned whether the ruling party was justified in resorting to such tactics. Senior RJD leader Shivanand Tiwari asked whether the Prime Minister had permitted his party workers to abuse and assault mothers, sisters, journalists, and teachers in Bihar.
