BackJharkhand strike begins amidst violence and Narendra Modi’s visit
The day-long strike was called by the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha in protest against the state government's new domicile policy
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Jamshedpur: A general strike began in Jharkhand on Sunday, coinciding with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit, with incidents of violence reported from some areas.
The day-long strike was called by the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) in protest against the state government’s new domicile policy.
Suspected strike supporters set ablaze a bus and a water tanker in East Singhbhum district, hours before Modi’s scheduled address at the National Panchayati Raj Diwas function at JRD Tata Sports Complex in Jamshedpur, a senior police official said.
The bus, which was parked near Musaboni block office, about 20km from Jamshedpur, to ferry Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) workers from rural pockets, was torched by suspected strike supporters in the wee hours of Sunday, said deputy superintendent of police (Musaboni) Ajit Vimal.
Vimal said a water tanker was also torched by suspected pro-domicile group at Potka, about 25km from Jamshedpur, under Potka police station. The district police, already on alert in view of Modi’s visit, rushed to the spot and doused the flames with the help of firefighters, he said.
Strike supporters also put up a road blockade in Tirildih in Potka block, disrupting traffic. The district police led by Vimal rushed to the spot to clear the road.
Vimal said five people were taken into custody in connection with the incidents.
Three JMM members of legislative assembly from West Singhbhum—Deepak Birua (Chaibasa), Niral Purty (Majhgaon) and Shashibhusan Samad (Chakradharpur)—along with a dozen party workers were taken into preventive custody on Saturday night in view of the strike.
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