Bandh called by RJD, BJP hits Gaya hard

Normal life was severely hit in Bihar's Gaya district, where the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Rashtriya Janata Dal on Monday gave separate bandh calls to protest against the state government's alleged security lapses that led to the terror attack in the temple town on Sunday, official sources said.

BJP workers took to the streets to enforce the dawn-to-dusk bandh, forcing shops and business establishments to close down, the sources said.

The temple town of Bodh Gaya was particularly hit by the bandh as roads wore a deserted look and shops and business establishments remained shut since morning, they said.

Observing a separate 12-hour bandh in the entire Magadh division, RJD workers were seen stopping the movement of vehicles and forcing shopkeepers to shut down shops in Gaya, Jehanabad and adjoining districts, the sources said.

In Jehanabad, the RJD supporters disrupted train services and raised slogans against the state government for its failure to prevent the serial blasts.

There was no report of any untoward incident from anywhere due to the bandh, police sources said.

Nine serial blasts had rocked the Bodh Gaya temple town on Sunday, with the world famous Mahabodhi temple facing the brunt of the terror attack, as four blasts took place in its premise.

Two monks were injured in the serial blasts.