Patna, October 23
The violent agitation launched by students in Bihar in retaliation to the attack
on railway recruitment test examinees at Mumbai on Sunday continued for the
third day today.

Irate mobs vandalised different railway stations, damaging property and disrupting communication which led to the cancellation of all long distance trains originating from the state or passing through it.

Major damage to railway property was reported from Motihari, Biharsharif, Lakhisarai and Ara. Security forces fought pitched battles with rampaging mobs at different places. A number of agitators were also taken in custody.

Nearly 100 women under the aegis of the Rashtriya Mahila Brigade shouted slogans against Raj Thackeray and the MNS here. They also burnt an effigy of Raj.

Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s appeal to the agitating students to exercise restraint and not to resort to violence did not seem to have any impact.

Nalanda, the home district of the Chief Minister, observed a bandh today in protest against the killing of Pawan Kumar, an examinee, allegedly by MNS activists in Mumbai. He was a native of Nalanda.

While the chief minister was holding a meeting with representatives of political parties to discuss the strategy to deal with the situation, different student organisations gave a call for a Bihar bandh on October 25.

The state administration is facing great difficulties as there is no leader or organisation leading the agitation with whom officials can hold talks.

The representatives of various parties, including the Congress, the NCP, the BSP and the Left, decided to take an all-party delegation to meet the Prime Minister and the union home minister soon.