Bihar Bandh: Rahul Gandhi, Tejashwi lead protest march, rail and road traffic hit across state.
Patna, July 9, 2025: The Bihar Bandh called by the opposition, including Congress, RJD, and Left parties, against the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) saw widespread protest and disruptions across the state on Wednesday.
In Patna, Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav, CPI-ML general secretary Dipankar Bhattacharya, VIP chief Mukesh Sahani, and senior Mahagathbandhan leaders led a protest march from Income Tax roundabout towards the Election Commission office via Veer Chand Patel Path.
Initially, the leaders marched on foot, but due to the large crowd, the protest continued in an open vehicle.
Purnea MP Rajesh Ranjan alias Pappu Yadav, along with Congress and opposition workers, stopped a train at Secretariat Railway Station, disrupting train movements. Pappu Yadav accused the central government of attempting to remove crores of voters from the rolls under the guise of voter verification.
Protests across districts during Bihar Bandh:
The impact of Bihar Bandh was visible across Seemanchal and other districts:
In Katihar, Grand Alliance leaders and workers blocked NH-31 and State Highway-77 near Kursela, leading to long vehicle queues and traffic paralysis.
In North Bihar: Under the leadership of RJD MLA Dr. Mukesh Roshan, blockades were staged at key points like Gandhi Setu and Ramashish Chowk, bringing traffic on national highways to a standstill.
In Danapur and Maner, protesters burned Tyres and blocked NH-30, raising slogans like “Vote ban will not work” and “We are Hindustani, we want our citizenship.”
In Barh, RJD workers blocked NH-31 at Jal Govind Chowk, halting traffic and causing inconvenience to the public.
Security tightened in Patna during Bihar Bandh:
In Patna, the administration deployed over 50 magistrates and 600 police personnel to maintain law and order. Surveillance was increased in sensitive areas, with possible congestion around Dakbungla Chauraha, Kotawali, Income Tax Golambar, Bailey Road, and Vidhan Sabha routes.
Background and Opposition’s arguments:
The Special Intensive Revision (SIR) by the Election Commission, requiring voters to furnish 11 specific documents for verification, has drawn criticism from opposition parties, who allege that it threatens to disenfranchise the poor, migrants, and weaker sections of society.
They argue that the move violates democratic rights and could lead to the removal of a large number of voters from the electoral rolls ahead of the Bihar Assembly elections.
The ruling NDA has rejected these allegations, calling the protests politically motivated.
Also Read: MP Pappu Yadav calls for Bihar Bandh on January 12 to support BPSC agitation.
EOM