The Hindu : Front Page : Bihar bandh peaceful; 5,000 held

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Saturday, Nov 03, 2007
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Bihar bandh peaceful; 5,000 held

Special Correspondent

— Photo: Ranjeet Kumar

MAKING A POINT: Leader of the Opposition in the Bihar Assembly Rabri Devi courting arrest in Patna on Friday.

PATNA: The Opposition-sponsored Bihar bandh to protest the assault on journalists by JD(U) MLA Anant Singh and his men affected normal life on Friday. It was, however, peaceful.

Leader of the Opposition Rabri Devi, who issued the call for the bandh, was among the leaders arrested. More than 5,000 people, including leaders of the CPI, the CPI(M), the LJP, the Congress, the NCP, the CPI(ML) and the BSP were arrested across the State.

Police tried to prevent Ms. Devi from reaching the heart of the city. She managed to dodge them and marched to the Dak Bungalow crossing. She demanded the resignation of Chief Minister Nitish Kumar for allegedly patronising criminal elements and muzzling the media. She said the government had failed on the law and order front and demanded stern punishment to Mr. Anant Singh.

Students forced closure of colleges, while private schools declared a holiday. Shops too remained closed. National highways were blocked and trains were detained at some places.

Journalists held a meeting on Friday and said the government’s move to refer the case to the CBI was an attempt at hushing it up. In a memorandum to the Chief Minister, they demanded a special investigation team to probe the incident and a speedy trial through a fast track court.

NBA seeks probe

Special Correspondent writes from New Delhi:

The News Broadcasters Association (NBA) has condemned the attack on NDTV scribes. In a statement on Friday, the association voiced concern over the growing incidence of violence against journalists and said “there can be no acceptable political reason for attacking the men and women who help make possible the fundamental right of freedom of expression.”

While welcoming the swift action by the Bihar Chief Minister in ensuring the arrest of the culprits, NBA president G. Krishnan said criminal intimidation of journalists and preventing them from performing their duties were violations of the freedoms enshrined in and guaranteed by the Constitution.

The NBA demanded an “independent and impartial enquiry” into the incident and voiced the hope that the report would be submitted without delay and tabled in the Assembly.

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