Mob Attempts to Set Fire to Bus Carrying Children During Bharat Bandh in Bihar

The visuals showed a yellow bus being surrounded by a mob armed with sticks. The mob attempted to set the bus on fire during the Bharat Bandh, which was called by certain groups in protest against a recent Supreme Court order regarding reservation for Scheduled Castes (SCs). However, the Gopalganj police and district administration were able to thwart this attempt. In addition to the mob armed with sticks, a man was also seen burning a tire under the bus, while several burning tires were scattered on the road.

Another video showed men stopping a bike with a woman riding pillion, which was attempting to pass through the area. The Gopalganj Superintendent of Police, Swarn Prabhat, issued a high alert and deployed a large police force and magistrates at various locations in response to the Bharat Bandh call. He mentioned that the police have identified troublemakers through the use of drone cameras and instructed police stations to file FIRs against them. Those who attempted to set the bus on fire will be sent to jail.

Despite some incidents of violence reported in the town, the response to the Bharat Bandh call in Gopalganj was mixed. While some vehicles were seen on the road, some protesters caused disruptions along National Highway 27 and the railway tracks. The Bharat Bandh was called by Dalit organizations in opposition to a recent Supreme Court judgment by a seven-judge bench, which they believe undermines the earlier ruling of a nine-judge bench in the landmark Indira Sawhney case, that established the framework for reservations in India.