Patna University students gherao BJP president J.P. Nadda

Earlier in the day, a mega road show was held by state BJP party workers and leaders to welcome him

The Bhartiya Janata Party president J.P. Nadda had to face loud protest on Saturday from students of Patna University, his alma mater, during his two-day visit to the Bihar state capital, Patna, to participate in joint national executive meeting of seven frontal organizations of the party.

Earlier in the day, a mega road show was held by state BJP party workers and leaders to welcome Mr. Nadda in Patna. Mr. Nadda was atop a makeshift vehicle along with two deputy chief ministers of the State Tarkishore Prasad and Renu Devi along with former Union minister Ravi Shanker Prasad and others. Hundreds of motorbikes were escorting Mr. Nadda’s convoy with youths riding on them and shouting slogans J.P. Nadda zindabad, BJP zindababd.

However, hours after when Mr. Nadda reached his alma-mater Patna College campus, activists of All India Students Association (AISA) staged protest and gheraoed him while shouting slogans “ J.P. Nadda go back”. Mr. Nadda had attended Patna College during his student days, as he was born and brought up there. The protesting students demanded central University status to Patna University and rollback of New National Education Policy, 2020. The security personnel later, managed to disperse protesting students and take Mr. Nadda out of the college campus.

Earlier in the day, supporters of a state BJP leader Jivan Kumar too, were seen engaged in scuffle for occupying space at a stage erected to welcome the party chief and other leaders.

“Mr. Nadda’s gherao was a serious security lapse by State Police and that too at a place where police officials from top to bottom sits. There was not a single woman cop deputed at the protest site”, fumed a state BJP leader while speaking to The Hindu and requesting anonymity. “What if something serious had happened?”, asked he. BJP is a ruling alliance partner of JD(U) in the state, but JD(U) leaders are said to be not happy with the BJP’s two-day convention in Patna which is seen as a beginning of party’s preparation for 2024 Parliamentary elections.

The BJP had sent several of its 750 delegates and 350 office bearers from other states to 200 assembly constituencies out of total 243 to interact with local party workers and leaders for the upcoming Lok Sabha poll. “Why only 200 constituencies, why not BJP has sent its party leaders and workers to all 243 assembly constituencies of the state?”, asked JD(U) national president Rajiv Ranjan Singh alias Lalan Singh, while speaking to media persons in Jehanabad.

As soon as the BJP president J.P. Nadda reached Patna College campus, activists of AISA, student body of Left parties, surrounded him and started protest while shouting “J.P. Nadda go back”. Mr. Nadda had gone there to participate in a programme at the college seminar hall. The protesting students demanded roll back of New Education Police 2020 which, they said, “is nothing but a promotion of graded inequality” and they also demanded central university status to Patna University.