Normal life ground to a halt in Bihar Thursday, with opposition Rashtriya Janata Dal’s (RJD) dawn-to-dusk state-wide shutdown to protest rising prices of essential items evoking a total response.
Thousands of party workers blocked highways, rail tracks and bridges.
Roads in Patna, Gaya, Nawada and other major towns in the state were deserted. Only a few private vehicles were seen.
RJD supporters blocked Mahatma Gandhi Setu, a bridge over the Ganges in Patna that connects south Bihar to the north.
Party workers targeted trains at several places including Jehanabad, Gaya, Bhagalpur and Hajipur railway stations. Dozens of RJD workers were arrested in Nalanda district for taking out a protest march.
The shutdown was peaceful in the morning with no report of violence, police officials here said.
RJD chief Lalu Prasad, party MPs and legislators were expected to lead protest marches at different places in the state during the day. The shutdown was supported by RJD’s ally Lok Janshakti Party and the Left parties.
In view of the shutdown, most schools in Patna had decided to stay closed anyway.
Lalu Prasad had Wednesday appealed to people, particularly businessmen, to support the shutdown.
The state administration have deployed extra security forces in Patna and other district headquarters to deal with the situation.
