Patna, Jan 25 : A day-long shutdown called by opposition parties in Bihar began Friday to protest the death of five people in police firing on a crowd agitating against power shortage in Kahalgaon town in Bhagalpur district last week, though residents of Kahalgaon have decided not to participate in the shutdown.

The residents said they feel political parties are only trying to get mileage out of the incident, as they did not take part in their agitation for better power supply, nor have they visited those injured in police firing and still in hospital.

The shutdown evoked mixed response in several places with reports of clashes between protestors and police.

Hundreds of activists belonging to opposition parties were arrested for disrupting law and order.

pix: Manish Sinha

The shutdown call was given by opposition Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), the Congress, the Left parties and the National Congress Party (NCP). Another opposition party, the Lok Janshakti Party, also gave a shutdown call separately to protest police firing in Kahalgaon.

The Communist Party of India-Marxist Leninist (CPI-ML)-sponsored shutdown Thursday evoked a mixed reaction. Opposition workers blocked roads at several places in Patna and neighbouring areas to enforce the shutdown.

Additional Director General (law and order) Anil Sinha said elaborate security arrangements have been made to protect vital installations, ensure smooth functioning of train services and traffic on roads. Security personnel were deployed in large numbers across the state to avoid any untoward incident.

All schools remained closed at the state capital here. Business establishments and offices were also affected by the shutdown.

(IANS)

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