NDA calls 5-hour Bihar bandh over ‘abuses’ against PM Modi: What’s open, what’s closed
BJP Bihar chief Dilip Jaiswal said essential services won’t be hit as the BJP Mahila Morcha leads the bandh protests across the state.
Workers of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Wednesday began protesting in Patna and other parts of the state as the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) called for a five-hour Bihar bandh.
The shutdown, which started at 7 am and will continue till 12 noon, was announced in response to alleged derogatory remarks against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his late mother during a Mahagathbandhan event in Darbhanga last week.
BJP’s Bihar state president Dilip Jaiswal said essential services, including medical facilities and rail operations, will not be disrupted. He added that the BJP Mahila Morcha is leading the agitation across the state.
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“The comments made in Darbhanga were objectionable and deeply insulting,” Jaiswal said, urging the opposition to apologise.
Janata Dal (United) leader Umesh Kushwaha also condemned the remarks. “During the opposition’s rally in Darbhanga, abusive words were used against Prime Minister Modi and his mother. This is wrong, both morally and politically,” ANI quoted Kushwaha as saying.
He said that using such language is highly inappropriate, and so far, the Mahagathbandhan leaders have not apologised.
“This shows how arrogant they are. They have insulted our mothers and sisters, and now we will retaliate. Therefore, the NDA has called for a Bihar bandh, and the women’s wing will hold protests across the state,” he added.
Prime Minister Modi, while addressing a rally on Tuesday, indirectly targeted the INDIA bloc leaders Rahul Gandhi and Tejashwi Yadav, referring to them as “naamdaar” leaders born with a silver spoon.
“The struggles of a poor mother, the suffering of her son — these young princes born into royal families cannot understand. The power of the country and Bihar seems like an inheritance of their family to them,” he said.
The bandh call comes amid heightened political tensions in Bihar, with the NDA framing the issue as an insult to women and mothers, while the opposition has yet to issue a formal response.
The 25-year-old accused has been arrested, with the Congress-led INDIA bloc saying that he is not linked to any of its constituent parties.
Bihar Bandh 2025
What's closed
- Schools, colleges, and coaching centers are shut across the state.
- Government offices and private businesses remain shut during the bandh.
- Intercity bus services have been suspended in several districts, disrupting travel across regions.
- Many roads face delays due to chakka jam blockades orchestrated by protestors.
What's open
- Hospitals, ambulance services, clinics, and medical shops remain functional to avoid public hardship.
- Retailers of groceries, milk, vegetables, and petrol pumps are open and operating.
- Rail services are explicitly exempted from the shutdown.
With ANI inputs
