Several parties withdraw support to tomorrow's Bihar bandh

Patna, Oct 24 (UNI) Several major political parties today withdrew support to tomorrow's 24-hour ''Bihar Bandh'' call in view of the coming festive season, but stopped just short of calling it off.

The bandh call was unitedly called by the students wings of all major political parites, including the JD(U), RJD, LJP, NSUI and the All India Students Association(AISA) yesterday to protest the unprovoked and brutal attacks on Bihari students by MNS activists in Maharashtra on Sunday last.

One Bihari student was killed in the assault.

But last night following an all-party-meeting where a unanimous decision was taken to send a delegation to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil soon to seek their personal intervention into the issue, the parties had decided to withdraw support to tomorrow's proposed bandh call.

While the ruling JD(U) had announced its decision to stay away from the bandh call last night itself, the leaders of RJD, LJP and the NSUI announced their decision today in view of the coming festivities, leaving only the AISA, the students wing of the CPI-ML, to observe the bandh successfully.

As a result the statewide bandh is likely to evoke minimum response in some pockets,though the state administration is leaving no stone unturned to ensure a fool proof security to prevent any violence or untoward incident in any part of the state tomorrow.

Since large number of security forces had been deployed all over the state, particulary in sensitive areas, running of buses, trains and air services are likely to be unaffected by the bandh call. In view of the coming festive season most of the business establishments might also remain open, the sources claimed.

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