Bihar’s Leader of Opposition Tejashwi Yadav on Monday said that a massive protest will be called in the state if detained student protesters are not released or cases against them are not withdrawn. During a press conference, Yadav gave Bihar chief minister Samrat Chaudhary an ultimatum, saying his demands should be answered by the same evening or night.
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“I stated clearly that if Samrat Choudhary does not withdraw the cases against the students and release them from jail by this evening or night, we will launch a massive agitation…,” Yadav said. He also claimed that it was on Chaudhary’s orders that hunderds of students were arrested in Bihar.
Notably, a Bihar government notification released late on Monday said that all cases registered against protesters before July 26 evening will be withdrawn and those arrested will be released.
The police action was in connection with a protest called by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) in Bihar last week. Just like the agitation at Jantar Mantar, the main issue raised here was the NEET-UG paper leak and a demand of Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation.
Despite the government’s assurance to the CJP on no legal action against protesters, reports of some police action emerged on Monday, sparking uproar.
The use of an AK-47 by a cop in Bihar during the student protests also sparked big outrage on Monday. While the BJP has accused the Congress and other opposition leaders of “constructing a narrative”, a purported video of the cop firing the gun went viral, following which he was suspended.
Tejashwi Yadav demanded a judicial inquiry into the incident, that took place in Bihar’s Siwan district. “Merely suspending a constable for allegedly using an AK-47 rifle during the student protest in Siwan is not enough. A judicial inquiry must be ordered into the incident,” the RJD leader said.
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“These shots were not fired into the air, but the chests of innocent people, who were merely protesting on the streets for justice and their rights, were riddled with bullets…,” Yadav was heard saying in a video shared by news agency ANI.
Yadav said chief minister Samrat Choudhary must clarify who ordered the use of an AK-47 against the protesters, and explain how the police booked several students on charges of “attempt to murder”.
The cop who was suspended for the AK-47 use was posted with the District Intelligence Unit (DIU). Contrary to Yadav’s allegations of students being “riddled with bullets”, Siwan Police stated that the rifle was fired in “self-defence,” and no injuries were reported from the incident.
However, Siwan SP Puran Kumar Jha reportedly said that cops were clearly instructed not to open fire during the demonstration.
