The
Bharat Bandh called by several upper caste outfits to protest against Parliament overturning a Supreme Court order that diluted the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, failed to evoke much of a response, with few instances of disruption reported from UP,
Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Punjab.
Even as the protests failed to make an impact, two BJP netas - UP's Bairia MLA, Surendra Singh, and ex-MLA Laxman Tiwari from MP - supported it. In Agra, six policemen were injured in clashes, with stone pelting reported from some parts. In Bihar, a mob attacked several buses, including a school bus, on NH-83 in Gaya. In Punjab, Phagwara was the only town that shut down.
