PATNA: Workers of the Patna Mahanagar and the Patna Gramin district units of the ruling JD(U) on Friday took out a torchlight procession in the state capital here as part of the party’s state-wide “Pol Khol Halla Bol Abhiyan” to expose the BJP and the BJP-led Union government’s attempt to halt the ongoing caste-based survey in Bihar.
The torchlight procession led by the JD(U) state president Umesh Singh Kushwaha, started from the party’s state headquarters at the Beer Chand Patel Path here and culminated the Harding Park after passing through the Income Tax roundabout, Dak Bungalow roundabout and Patna Junction roundabout and the GPO roundabout.
Speaking on the occasion, Kushwaha accused the BJP of taking contradictory stands in the state and at the Centre on the issue of caste-based survey. He said while the BJP’s state level leaders appreciate the Nitish Kumar-led government for beginning the caste survey in Bihar, their party leaders who are in the Union government take a different stand. The Centre recently tried to halt the caste survey by filing an affidavit in the Supreme Court, but it had to change the contents of the affidavit within hours fearing wide repercussions from the public in Bihar.
Kushwaha also alleged that the BJP’s real face has now been exposed on the issue of caste survey. He said the JD(U) has launched a phase-wise “Pol Khol Halla Bol Abhiyan’ across the country to expose the BJP’s double standard towards the ongoing caste survey.
The JD(U) state president further said, similar torchlight processions were taken out on Friday evening by the party’s district units in Sheikhpura, Katihar Mahanagar, Katihar Gramin, Madhubani, Nawada, Buxar, Siwan, Sheohar and Madhepura district in the first phase of the ‘Pol Khol Halla Bol Abhiyan’.
Other prominent party leaders who participated in the procession were MLCs Sanjay Kumar Singh alias Gandhijee, Neeraj Kumar, Rabindra Prasad Singh, state general secretaries Chandan Kumar Singh and Basudev Kushwaha.
The JD(U) workers will take out torchlight procession/ candlelight Marches in different districts up to September 5 as part of the first phase of the party’s Abhiyan. In the second phase, they would take out torchlight processions at every block headquarters from September 7 to 12.
