Rahul Gandhi Accuses Bihar Government of Weaponising Police Against Student Protesters
Rahul Gandhi criticises Bihar government over police action against students protesting recruitment exam irregularities, alleging accountability evasion.
Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, on Wednesday sharply criticised the BJP-led Bihar government for its handling of ongoing student protests in the state, accusing the administration of using police force to avoid answering questions on recruitment irregularities.
Students and job aspirants have been agitating at Gardanibagh in Patna, demanding reforms in the recruitment process. Their key demands include the conduct of a fourth Teacher Recruitment Examination (TRE-4) with a single-stage preliminary and mains pattern, removal of negative marking, and a 100% domicile-based reservation for state government jobs.
In a post on X, Gandhi said the students have a straightforward set of questions: why are there irregularities in recruitment exams, why has no action been taken on allegations of paper leaks, and how long will the government continue to tamper with the future of the youth. He noted that the controversy over the Bihar Public Service Commission (BPSC) exams is not new, and that students have been on the streets for a long time over the recruitment process, exam pattern, delays, and transparency.
Instead of answering these questions, Gandhi alleged, the government is wielding batons and water cannons and taking students into custody. He also referenced an incident in Siwan where, he claimed, firing on protesters took place with an AK-47.
Gandhi framed the issue as one of mindset, stating that the BJP government has no answers and is therefore turning the police into a weapon to evade accountability. He asserted that one cannot snatch away someone's future by instilling fear, and that the students of Bihar will keep asking questions and now demand accountability, not just answers.
The remarks come a day after fresh tensions broke out in Patna, when hundreds of protesters marched from Gandhi Maidan towards the residence of Bihar Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary. The demonstrators broke through barricades and clashed with security personnel at Dak Bungalow Chowk.