 "BJP's 'Rail Roko' stir disrupts train services in Bihar")
Train services were today disrupted in various parts of Bihar due to a BJP-sponsored 'Rail Roko' agitation to protest denial of special category status to the state.
Former Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi, Leader of the Opposition in state Assembly Nand Kishore Yadav and state party President Mangal Pandey and several party workers were detained when they tried to stop trains at Sachivalya halt in Patna town, police said.
BJP workers also stopped trains at Patna, Darbhanga, Bettiah, Kaimur, Bhagalpur, Muzaffarpur and other parts of in the state.
BJP has called the agitation in protest against denial of special category status to the state.
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Before being taken away by police, Sushil Modi told reporters that the Centre was "discriminating" with a poor and backward state like Bihar in the grant of special category status and package to spur its development.
Party's Prime Ministerial candidate Narendra Modi has already promised to provide special package as well special category status to Bihar if he came to power, he said.
The BJP leader appealed to the rail authorities to stop trains movement in the state during the day to avoid inconvenience to the passengers.
Railway sources at Danapur said that there were reports of skirmishes between bandh supporters and students appearing for exams at Rajendra Nagar terminal this morning.
A report from Darbhanga said, several trains including many long distance once like Sampark Kranti, Darbhanga-Sikandrabad Express, Darbhanga-Samastipur intercity were stopped by BJP workers at Darbhanga station.
A Samastipur report quoting DRM Arun Mallik said that several trains Samastipur-Muzaffarpur passenger train, Samastipur-Saharsa passenger and Samastipur-Barauni passenger were not allowed on their forward journey at Samastipur station.
In Nawada, the agitators stopped Gaya-Rampur passenger train. Hundreds of protestors were taken into custody when they were trying to block trains, police said.