Over a dozen people were injured in a clash between Bandh supporters and a pro-reservation group in Ara town in Bhojpur district.Bandh supporters, mostly upper castes youths, reportedly blocked roads and forcibly enforced the shutdown. The central government has sent 30 companies of Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) -- the country’s largest paramilitary force -- to various states to maintain law and order during the Bharat Bandh called on Tuesday. Home Ministry officials said 14 of these companies have been sent to Uttar Pradesh, eight to Rajasthan, and four each to Madhya Pradesh and Bihar to prevent any untoward incident during the bandh called in protest against the country’s reservation policy. The bandh, which has been called by various groups protesting against caste-based reservation to Scheduled Castes/ Scheduled Tribes (SC/ST) and Other Backward Classes (OBCs), affected normal life in several parts of the country.

Over a dozen people were injured in a clash between Bandh supporters and a pro-reservation group in Ara town in Bhojpur district.Bandh supporters, mostly upper castes youths, reportedly blocked roads and forcibly enforced the shutdown. The central government has sent 30 companies of Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) -- the country’s largest paramilitary force -- to various states to maintain law and order during the Bharat Bandh called on Tuesday. Home Ministry officials said 14 of these companies have been sent to Uttar Pradesh, eight to Rajasthan, and four each to Madhya Pradesh and Bihar to prevent any untoward incident during the bandh called in protest against the country’s reservation policy. The bandh, which has been called by various groups protesting against caste-based reservation to Scheduled Castes/ Scheduled Tribes (SC/ST) and Other Backward Classes (OBCs), affected normal life in several parts of the country.