Key Points

Meanwhile, BJP's Bihar state president, Dilip Jaiswal, said the five-hour bandh will be observed from 7 am to 12 noon. However, essential services, including emergency facilities and rail operations, will remain unaffected during the shutdown. Also, the BJP Mahila Morcha will be leading the protest.

The state-wide bandh is in protest against objectionable comments made by Congress workers against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his mother last week in Darbhanga during the Voter Adhikar Yatra.

Following the announcement, Janata Dal (United) leader Umesh Kushwaha said, "During the opposition's rally in Darbhanga, abusive words were used against Prime Minister Modi and his mother. This is wrong, both morally and politically."

"Using such language is highly inappropriate, and so far, the Mahagathbandhan leaders have not apologised. This shows how arrogant they are. They have insulted our mothers and sisters, and now we will retaliate. Therefore, the NDA has called for a Bihar bandh, and the women's wing will hold protests across Bihar," he said.

Earlier RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav in a post on X said that a Mother is a Mother but took a jibe at the Prime Minister alleging that he had used similar words for others.

"A mother is a mother. The word "mother" brings so much peace the moment it comes to the tongue. Even for the speechless, a mother exists. No one should ever use abusive words against anyone's mother, sister, or daughter. Every human being, living creature, animal, and bird in this world is born of a mother. If Prime Minister Modi campaigns for and appeals to elect Prajwal Revanna, who rapes women and girls, then that is Modi's masterstroke. If Modi calls someone's mother a 50-crore girlfriend, then wow Modi ji, wow! If Modi refers to the wife of a brave former Prime Minister who sacrificed for the country and the mother of the Leader of the Opposition as a widow and a Jersey cow, then shameless people will say that Modi gave a brilliant speech," he said.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday condemned the abusive remarks directed at his late mother, saying they were an insult to all mothers, sisters, and daughters in India. "Mother is our world. Mother is our self-respect. I had not even imagined what happened a few days ago in this tradition-rich Bihar. My mother was abused from the stage of RJD-Congress in Bihar... These abuses are not just an insult to my mother. These are insults to the mothers, sisters and daughters of the country," he said.

He added that his mother had separated him from her so he could serve the country's women. "My mother, who has nothing to do with politics, who is no more, was abused from the stage of the RJD, Congress. Sisters and mothers, I can see your faces; I can only imagine the pain you must have felt. I can see tears in the eyes of some mothers. This is very sad, painful," PM Modi said.

- ANI