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Bharat Bandh: SDM mistakenly lathi-charged in Patna | Video
The confusion apparently occurred as the SDM was in civil clothes and was mistaken by a policeman as a supporter of the bandh.
Patna SDM Shrikant Kundlik Khandekar was mistakenly hit by a policeman during a lathi-charge on supporters of the day-long Bharat Bandh on Wednesday.
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In a viral video, the policeman is seen hitting Khandekar, who was in civil dress, with a stick. While the SDM is taken aback, the erring policeman is taken away by his colleagues, who tell him about the mistake.
The policeman gestures towards the SDM, with the former apparently apologising for the mistake. The two are then seen engaging in a conversation.
The bizarre incident occurred at the busy Dak Bangla square in Bihar's capital city. Having broken barricades at the JP Golambar intersection, the protestors reached Dak Bangla, where, to control the situation, security forces resorted to a lathi-charge.
Water cannon was also used to disperse the protestors.
Meanwhile, the response to the Bharat Bandh or pan-India shutdown has been largely mixed; its maximum impact was seen in Bihar, Rajasthan, and Uttar Pradesh.
The bandh is being observed on the call of ‘Reservation Bachao Sangharsh Samiti,’ against an August 1 ruling by the Supreme Court. A seven-judge bench, headed by Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud, ruled by a 6:1 majority that the further sub-classification of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes by state governments can be permitted to ensure grant of quota to more backward castes within these groups.
Organisers are, therefore, demanding that the judgment be ‘reversed’ and the central government ‘reject’ the ruling. Other demands are: ‘justice and equity’ for SCs, STs, and Other Backward Classes; a new Act of Parliament on reservations; release of caste-based data on SC/ST/OBCs in central government jobs; a target of 50% representation for these groups in the higher judiciary; filling up of backlog vacancies in central/state government jobs, as well as public sector undertakings.
