Bihar Woman Dies After Ambulance Stuck During RJD Bandh Call

Patna: A woman patient died after the ambulance carrying her was stuck in a massive jam during the Bihar Bandh called by opposition Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) on Thursday.

RJD leader Raghuvansh Prasad said, “Such incidents do happen during agitation. Some people also die sometimes.”

Critically ill Somari Devi, 35, was on way from Mahnar in Hajipur to Patna for hospitalisation but her ambulance got stuck on the Mahatma Gandhi Setu, which connects North Bihar to Patna, due to ‘chakka jam’ by RJD workers.

Her in-laws pleaded with the RJD workers and policemen but no one could help resulting in her death.

The RJD has called a day long bandh protesting against the new mining policy of the state government and alleged deterioration of law and order. The Bihar government withdrew the policy on Wednesday evening but the RJD decided to go ahead with the bandh call.

The RJD workers forcefully closed shops and disrupted traffic on all the bridges which caused inconvenience for the common people.

In Bhagalpur, agitating workers smashed window panes of cars and damaged many two-wheelers. One of the injured, coming from Gopalganj where boiler exploded in a sugar mill killing five people, also got stuck in the traffic jam but the police managed to clear the way for him.

The ruling Janata Dal (United) and even RJD ally Congress has sharply reacted to the bandh call as the state capital Patna is welcoming Sikh devotees on the occasion of 350thbirth anniversary (Prakashotsav) of Guru Govind Singh.

“When the government agreed to continue with the old mining policy, why did the RJD press ahead with the bandh call? Violence is in their DNA and they are just demonstrating the same,” JD(U) spokesman Ajay Alok said.

Senior Congress leader Ashok Chaudhary also criticised the strike saying, “They chose timing was wrong.”

Meanwhile, opposition leader Tejashwi Yadav led a march in Patna and courted arrest. He along with his elder brother Tej Pratap were taken to Kotwali Police station where they were freed after competing formalities.