Patna: The dawn-to-dusk Patna bandh on February 8 turned violent with bandh supporters setting two buses afire and smashing windscreens of nearly a dozen vehicles, forcing the police to use 'lathis' and burst teargas shells to control the situation.

The bandh was called by the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) and the Indian Federal Democratic Party (IFDP) of Lok Sabha member Rajesh Ranjan alias Pappu Yadav.

Patna city superintendent of police O N Bhaskar said bandh supporters set on fire two private buses near the planetarium on the Bailey road, but the blaze was soon extinguished with the timely arrival of the police and fire brigade.

He said IFDP supporters torched the buses when they were being taken to Phulwari Sharif camp jail after being taken into preventive custody.

'Lathi' wielding NDA activists smashed the windscreens of nearly a dozen vehicles on the Bailey road, Kankarbagh and Chiraiyatand areas.

Bhaskar said so far nearly 300 bandh supporters had been detained for trying to enforce the bandh called by the NDA, IFDP, Lok Janshakti party and All India Students Association, the students wing of the Communist Party of India- Marxist/Leninist (CPI-ML) to protest the killing of an Army jawan Madhukar Sharma in an alleged fake police encounter at Paliganj on February 4 and spiralling crime.

Official sources said police burst teargas shells and used 'lathis' in Chiraiyatand to disperse a violent mob that damaged few private vehicles.

The bandh evoked mixed response with shops and business establishments in major thoroughfares downing their shutters, but many in the residential areas open.

Traffic was very thin on main streets and most schools were closed as a precautionary measure. The attendance in government and private offices and banks was affected.

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) activists led by its state president Nandkishore Yadav took out a procession from the party office and sat on 'dharna' at 'dakbunglow' roundabout.

Contingents of policemen and Rapid Action Force (RAF) jawans patrolled the main streets of the state capital to ward off any untoward incident.

There was heavy security deployment at Patna, Rajendra Nagar and Phulwari Sharif railway stations. There were no reports of obstruction of trains or damage to railway property so far, additional divisional railway manager, Danapur, A K Verma said.

Patna is facing a series of bandhs and agitations since the late December killing of three youths in a fake police encounter at Ashiana Nagar and two others at Manjhaul in Begusarai district.

PTI