Patna: The Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM), Bihar, on Tuesday staged a protest in Patna against the police action on students during their march to Raj Bhavan and against the proposed satellite township project.Marching from Gandhi Maidan to Dak Bungalow Chowk, SKM leaders termed the police crackdown on students an attack on democratic rights. They alleged that the use of force against unarmed protesters, including women, reflected the govt’s intolerance towards peaceful demonstrations.Addressing the gathering, SKM Bihar leaders Dinesh Kumar, Ashok Prasad Singh, America Mahto, Dev Kumar Singh, Manish Kumar and Ramesh Singh said police action could not silence students’ voices. They claimed the movement would continue despite the alleged lathi-charge and use of tear gas. Protesters also burnt effigies of CM Samrat Choudhary and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.The farmer leaders reiterated their opposition to the proposed Satellite Township project, saying villages would not be displaced in the name of development. Raising slogans such as “Our land belongs to us,” they warned of a large-scale agitation in Patna if the project was not withdrawn.The protest also carried political undertones ahead of the Bankipur Assembly bypoll. SKM leaders appealed to voters to defeat the BJP candidate, describing Bankipur as the land of Jayaprakash Narayan’s 1974 movement and urging people to vote for “change” in the constituency.
