New Delhi, Sep 3: Congress leader and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Thursday extended his support to students and job aspirants protesting alleged irregularities in Bihar’s examination and recruitment system, and warned the BJP that any government that suppresses the voice of the youth would eventually have to answer to the people.
Gandhi made the remarks after meeting students and youngsters who, he said, had faced “horrific police brutality” while raising their concerns over the examination system.
In a post in Hindi on X, Gandhi alleged that several students were injured during police action, claiming that lathis as well as gunfire from AK-47s and pistols were used against the protesters.
“Police lathis as well as gunfire from AK-47 and pistols left many students injured,” Gandhi said.
He further claimed that a young man aspiring to serve the country in the Army suffered a leg injury from an AK-47 bullet, which, according to him, shattered his lifelong dream of joining the armed forces.
“A young man aspiring to serve the country in the Army had his leg battered by an AK-47 bullet — and with it, his life-long dream was also shattered,” the Congress leader said.
Gandhi maintained that the protesters were not making unreasonable demands but were seeking fair opportunities, a transparent examination system and their rights.
“The protesters were only demanding fair opportunities, a transparent examination system and their rights,” he said.
Questioning the use of force against the students, Gandhi asked why lathis and bullets were allegedly used in response to such demands.
“What was the need to use lathis and bullets in response to such demands?” he asked.
The Congress leader also rejected any attempt to place the entire responsibility for the alleged police action on lower-ranking officials. He said the government could not distance itself from the incident by blaming a few officials.
“The government cannot absolve itself of responsibility for such extreme brutality by merely blaming a few low-ranking officials,” Gandhi said.
He alleged that the action was either the result of directions from higher levels or reflected a serious failure of the administration.
“This action is either the result of orders from above or a sign of the administration’s utter failure,” he said.
Gandhi said he stood with the protesting youngsters and was prepared to extend all possible assistance to them.
His comments come amid a continuing agitation by students and job aspirants in Bihar, with the protesters demanding reforms in the recruitment and examination process, including a single-tier teacher recruitment examination and greater transparency.
Patna witnessed clashes between protesters and police last month after job aspirants attempted to march towards the chief minister’s residence as part of their agitation.
The students’ movement began in the first week of August and has since received backing from opposition parties and leaders, including RJD working president Tejashwi Yadav.
The issue has also emerged as a political flashpoint in Bihar, with the opposition seeking greater accountability over the conduct of competitive examinations and recruitment processes.
Gandhi, in his latest remarks, directly targeted the BJP over the handling of the youth protests and cautioned the ruling party against attempting to suppress their demands.
“The BJP should remember: any regime that suppresses the voice of the youth eventually has to answer to the people. That day is not far off,” he said.
The Congress leader’s intervention is likely to add a political dimension to the students’ agitation, with the opposition seeking to portray the issue as one involving employment opportunities, examination transparency and accountability in governance.
