Bihar Bandh: BJP-Led NDA Protest Sees Mixed Impact Amid Opposition Claims of Failure
Patna, September 4, 2025 — The five-hour Bihar bandh called by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) on September 4, 2025, to protest alleged derogatory remarks against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his late mother, Heeraben Modi, during an opposition rally, elicited a mixed response across the state. While the BJP mobilized its women’s wing and supporters to enforce the shutdown, leading to protests and road blockades in several cities, opposition leaders from the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and Congress labeled the bandh a “flop show,” claiming it failed to garner public support and disrupted daily life through coercive tactics. As Bihar approaches its November 2025 assembly elections, the bandh has intensified political tensions, with both sides leveraging the event to shape voter sentiment.
Background of the Bandh
The bandh was announced by the NDA on September 2, 2025, in response to offensive remarks allegedly made during the Congress-led Voter Adhikar Yatra in Darbhanga on August 27, 2025. A viral video showed a youth, draped in a Congress flag, using abusive language against PM Modi and his mother from a stage adorned with posters of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and RJD’s Tejashwi Yadav. The incident prompted widespread condemnation from NDA leaders, with Bihar BJP president Dilip Jaiswal calling it an “insult to all mothers” and a “shame to Bihar’s cultural values.”
The bandh, enforced from 7 a.m. to 12 noon, was led by the BJP’s Mahila Morcha and women’s wings of NDA allies, including Janata Dal (United) (JD(U)) and Hindustani Awam Morcha (HAM). The NDA assured that essential services, such as ambulances, hospitals, and rail operations, would remain unaffected to minimize public inconvenience. However, the opposition accused the BJP of using the incident as a pretext to distract from pressing issues like unemployment, inflation, and alleged voter roll manipulation ahead of the elections.
Implementation and Impact of the Bandh
The bandh’s impact varied across Bihar, with urban centers like Patna, Gaya, Rajgir, and Danapur seeing significant protest activity, while rural areas reported minimal disruption. In Patna, BJP workers, led by Jaiswal and MP Ravi Shankar Prasad, staged sit-ins and road blockades at Dak Bungalow Chauraha, halting traffic and stopping vehicles, including scooters ridden by women commuters. Visuals from ANI showed protesters burning tires in Danapur and blocking roads in Sasaram, with shops shuttered in Rajgir after BJP supporters enforced closures.
In Gaya, NDA workers protested at key junctions, with JD(U) state president Umesh Singh Kushwaha urging public participation to “defend the honor of mothers.” In Bhagalpur, BJP Mahila Morcha workers met shopkeepers to encourage voluntary closures, achieving partial success. However, reports from Kishanganj and other rural districts indicated that markets and public transport operated largely as usual, with limited participation.
The bandh caused significant disruptions in some areas, with buses parked at stands in Rajgir and stranded commuters reported at bus stations. However, emergency services remained operational, as promised, with no reported interruptions to ambulance or hospital access. Rail services also continued unaffected, aligning with the NDA’s commitment to exempt essential operations.
Opposition’s Claims: A “Flop Show”
Opposition leaders, particularly from the RJD and Congress, declared the bandh a failure, arguing it lacked public support and resorted to coercive measures. RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav, speaking in Patna, stated, “BJP and NDA did not get the support of any person in Bihar for the bandh they had called. They only attempted to do ‘goondagardi’ [hooliganism].” He accused BJP workers of harassing women, teachers, and students, citing incidents where ambulances were allegedly stopped and a judge’s vehicle was obstructed in Arwal.
RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav took to X, questioning whether PM Modi had ordered his party to “insult Bihar’s mothers, sisters, and daughters” during the bandh, adding, “Gujaratis should not underestimate Biharis. This is Bihar.” RJD MP Sanjay Yadav echoed this sentiment, calling the bandh a “complete failure” and asserting that “Bihar has shown that no one’s mother has been insulted anywhere.” Congress leaders, including Jairam Ramesh, accused the BJP of using the incident to deflect from real issues like unemployment (23% among Bihar’s youth, per a 2024 CMIE survey) and the ECI’s controversial voter roll revisions, which deleted 6.5 million names.
Reports of violence and coercion bolstered the opposition’s narrative. In Arwal, BJP supporters allegedly assaulted a teacher, while in Patna, clashes between BJP and Congress workers near the Congress office led to minor injuries. A post on X by @SurrbhiM claimed that BJP workers blocked Income Tax Chowk and harassed commuters, including pregnant women, labeling the bandh a “backfire” for the BJP.
BJP’s Defense: A Moral Stand
The BJP and its NDA allies defended the bandh as a “moral response” to the opposition’s “disrespect for mothers.” Bihar BJP president Dilip Jaiswal, who broke down while watching Modi address the issue on September 2, called the remarks a “sin” and emphasized that the bandh was led by women to symbolize solidarity with Heeraben Modi. BJP leader Sanjay Mayukh stated in Patna, “The mothers and sisters of Bihar are participating in the bandh… You cannot run away after abusing.”
The party framed the bandh as a broader defense of Bihar’s cultural values, with HAM leader Anil Kumar linking the opposition’s remarks to the “jungle raj” era under RJD rule in the 1990s. The BJP also accused the RJD and Congress of failing to apologize, with Modi himself stating on September 2 that “the people of Bihar will never forgive them.” Posts on X from @BJP4India amplified this narrative, claiming the bandh was a “people’s movement” against the opposition’s “anti-woman mindset.”
Mixed Public Response
Public sentiment, as reflected on X and in media reports, was divided. Supporters of the bandh, such as @DilipJaiswalBJP, praised the BJP for standing up for “Maatr Shakti” (mother’s power), with hashtags like #BiharBandh trending briefly on September 4. However, others, like @nit_set, criticized the BJP for disrupting daily life, alleging that the bandh was a distraction from issues like flood relief and unemployment. A YouTube video titled “BJP Ka Bihar Bandh Nikla Flop Show” gained traction, echoing opposition claims of low public participation.
In urban areas like Patna, commuters expressed frustration over road blockades, with one resident telling Aaj Tak, “This is politics, not principle. Why punish us for their fights?” In contrast, some women in Rajgir supported the bandh, with a shopkeeper quoted by PTI saying, “An insult to a mother is an insult to us all.”
Electoral Implications
The bandh’s mixed impact has significant implications for Bihar’s upcoming elections, where women voters (49% of the 78.9 million electorate) are a key demographic. The BJP is leveraging the controversy to appeal to cultural sentiments, framing the opposition as disrespectful to women and Bihar’s values. Schemes like Lakhpati Didi and Drone Didi, highlighted by Modi during his September 2 address, aim to consolidate female support.
However, the opposition’s narrative of a “flop show” and accusations of BJP’s “goondagardi” could resonate with voters frustrated by disruptions. The RJD is focusing on economic issues, such as Bihar’s 36% poverty rate and flood-related devastation, to counter the BJP’s emotional appeal. The ongoing ECI voter roll controversy, with 6.5 million deletions, further complicates the electoral landscape, with the opposition alleging voter suppression.
Expert Analysis
Political analysts offer varied perspectives. Sanjay Kumar from the Centre for the Study of Developing Societies told BBC Hindi that the bandh’s limited impact in rural areas suggests the BJP overestimated public outrage over the Darbhanga incident. “Bihar’s voters are more concerned with jobs and floods than symbolic protests,” he said. Conversely, Nalin Mehta, in a 2025 Times of India column, argued that the BJP’s focus on women’s honor could sway female voters, given their increasing electoral influence.
The bandh’s partial success in urban centers but minimal rural impact aligns with data from a 2024 ORF survey, which found urban Bihar voters more receptive to cultural narratives than rural ones, who prioritize economic issues. The BJP’s strategy may thus face challenges in rural constituencies, where 88% of Bihar’s population resides.
Looking Ahead
The September 4 bandh has deepened Bihar’s political polarization, with the NDA and opposition trading barbs over its success and motives. While the BJP seeks to keep the Darbhanga incident alive as a campaign issue, the opposition’s framing of the bandh as coercive and ineffective could undermine the NDA’s narrative. With the assembly elections looming, the bandh’s legacy will depend on whether voters prioritize cultural symbolism or practical concerns like jobs and governance. For now, the event underscores the high-stakes battle for Bihar’s electorate, where every issue is a potential electoral weapon.
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