The Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) has given a call for ‘Bihar bandh’ on January 28 to protest against the state government’s alleged failure in checking rise in prices of essential commodities.
“The Nitish Kumar government is more responsible than the Centre for the price rise in the state and we have decided to observe a state-wide shutdown on January 28,” party chief Lalu Prasad said after a meeting of party legislators and district presidents in Patna.
He said that the Bihar government should inform the people about the result of its anti-hoarding drive and also the action taken against blackmarketers.
He said the bandh would be followed by a ‘Jail Bharo’ agitation to pressurise the Centre for checking price rise. The date for the ‘’Jail Bharo Abhiyan’ would be announced later, Lalu Prasad said. He would also hold talks with the Samajwadi Party (SP) and the Telugu Desam Party (TDP), among others, to mobilise support for calling a ‘Bharat bandh’ later on the same issue.
The LJP president, Ram Vilas Paswan, said his party would support the ‘Bihar bandh’ called by Lalu Prasad. “We have decided to support the call of our ally, the RJD,” Paswan told reporters. He said his party would launch a ‘jail bharo’ campaign on January 5 if the state government failed to meet the demands of sweepers in Bihar.
The LJP president, Ram Vilas Paswan, said his party would support the ‘Bihar bandh’ called by Lalu Prasad. “We have decided to support the call of our ally, the RJD,” Paswan told reporters. He said his party would launch a ‘jail bharo’ campaign on January 5 if the state government failed to meet the demands of sweepers in Bihar.