Rahul Gandhi Condemns Bihar Police Crackdown on Student Protesters

Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi condemned the BJP-led Bihar government on Wednesday following a violent police crackdown on students protesting recruitment irregularities. The clashes occurred Tuesday in Patna during a 'Mukhyamantri Awas Gherao' protest, where thousands of students and Left-wing activists attempted to march to the chief minister's residence.

Protesters, primarily aspirants for the Bihar Public Service Commission (BPSC) Teachers' Recruitment Exams, demanded that written tests be conducted in a single stage rather than two. Some demonstrators called for the cancellation of previous Combined Competitive Exams, citing a lack of transparency and alleged paper leaks. Bihar Police responded to the march with water cannons, lathi-charges, and detentions to disperse the crowds at Gandhi Maidan and along the route to the residence.

Gandhi accused the administration of using security forces as a weapon to evade accountability. He specifically highlighted a viral video of a six-year-old boy taken into police custody and alleged that security personnel used AK-47s against protesters in Siwan. Gandhi criticized the government's mindset, stating that "questions don't stop with batons."