Tejashwi Yadav's RJD calls for Bihar bandh today against the new police Bill

Rashtriya Janata Dal, the main Opposition party in Bihar, has called for a Bihar bandh on Friday to protest the passage of new legislation in the two Houses — the Bihar Special Armed Police Bill 2021 — which gives the police unbridled power to search or arrest a person even without a warrant.

The Congress and the Left have decided to support the bandh call on March 26.

Unprecedented scenes were witnessed in the Assembly premises on Tuesday evening when several Opposition legislators, including three woman MLAs (two from the RJD and one from the Congress), were ‘thrown’ out of the House after Bihar Police were called in to restore normalcy.

Many legislators sustained injuries while several videos showed police heckling or using their boots to kick the Opposition legislators.

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The Bill was passed in the Assembly in the late hours on Tuesday.

Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly Tejashwi Yadav on Thursday warned the officers of Bihar not to behave like stooges of the ruling party.

“The Bihar police have become the JD(U) police. But let me remind all the officials that no one knows when will this government last. So, act as per the rules and the Constitution,” Tejashwi warned the police, who have booked most of the Opposition leaders for anarchy and chaos on Tuesday while holding a protest rally against the new police Bill.

“We have called for Bihar bandh on March 26. We are not BJP. So we won’t be cowed down by threats and registration of cases against us. We will protest against the Bihar Special Armed Police Bill 2021 till it is rolled back,” added Tejashwi on Thursday.