Patna, Aug 18: The Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) will take out a march to Lok Bhavan on Wednesday to protest alleged police firing during student protests, with party acting president Tejashwi Yadav launching a sharp attack on the Bihar government over paper leaks, unemployment, corruption and alleged excesses against protesters.
Addressing a press conference on Tuesday, Yadav appealed to youths and students to participate in the march and demanded that the state government make public the facts surrounding the alleged firing incidents in Siwan and Jehanabad.
“Under whose instructions did the firing take place?” Yadav asked, while also seeking to know from which police unit and armoury the AK-47 allegedly used in the incident had come.
“The government should make public the facts of the firing in Siwan and Jehanabad,” he said.
Taking aim at the state government’s handling of recruitment examinations, Yadav said, “The government in Bihar is weak, that’s why papers are being leaked.”
He also challenged Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary to break his silence on the issue and demanded immediate action on the grievances of protesting TRE-4 teacher recruitment candidates.
After the press conference, Yadav visited the protesting candidates at Gardanibagh and expressed support for their demands.
Yadav also targeted Union Minister of State Kiren Rijiju, accusing him of misleading Parliament over the firing controversy. He claimed Rijiju had told Parliament that no firing had taken place, whereas the Bihar government’s affidavit acknowledged that shots had been fired.
“Rijiju had told Parliament that no firing took place, while the Bihar government has admitted in its affidavit that shots were fired,” Yadav said, demanding that the role of the Home Department be clarified.
He also questioned why the Superintendent of Police had not been suspended in connection with the incident.
“Why hasn’t the Superintendent of Police been suspended?” he asked.
Yadav further attacked the state government over unemployment, migration and alleged examination paper leaks, claiming that Bihar ranks among the worst states on these fronts.
He alleged that corruption had received government patronage and cited the Srijan scam, dustbin scam and estimate scam as examples. He also alleged discrimination in government appointments.
The press conference was attended by RJD state president Mangani Lal Mandal, Alok Kumar Mehta, Kumar Sarvjeet, Shakti Singh Yadav, Chittaranjan Gagan and Ejaz Ahmed, among other party leaders.
The proposed Lok Bhavan march is expected to put further pressure on the Bihar government over the student protests and allegations surrounding police action, recruitment examinations and paper leaks.
