Patna, Aug 18 (IANS) Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) National Working President and Bihar Leader of Opposition Tejashwi Yadav said on Tuesday that the party will hold a march to Raj Bhavan (Lok Bhavan) in Patna on Wednesday and appealed to the students, young people and the general public to participate.
Addressing a press conference at his residence on Polo Road, Tejashwi made the Siwan student-protest firing the central focus of his attack on the Bihar government.
He questioned who authorised the use of an AK-47 during the protest and demanded that the entire chain of command behind the weapon’s deployment be disclosed.
He asked: “Who ordered the firing on the students? From which police unit and armoury was the AK-47 issued? Who authorised its deployment for crowd control? Which unit was the accused Constable attached to? Who ordered the police to open fire? Why has the Siwan SP not been suspended? What is the record of ammunition used during the incident? and what role did the Home Department play in the deployment and monitoring of weapons?”
Tejashwi alleged that three people from Siwan were injured by gunfire during the protests and claimed that Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary did not visit them during their treatment at Medanta Hospital in Patna.
He also asked why the Bihar government has not ordered a judicial inquiry into the incident.
Tejashwi linked the Siwan controversy with wider concerns over paper leaks, unemployment, recruitment irregularities and Bihar’s education system.
He alleged that Bihar has become the capital of examination paper leaks and said that after more than two decades of NDA rule, the state continues to face serious challenges involving unemployment, migration, education, healthcare and corruption.
He also cited alleged irregularities and scams, including the Srijan scam, dustbin scam and estimate scam, accusing the Bihar government of failing to take adequate action against corruption.
The RJD leader also criticised Union Minister Kiren Rijiju, alleging that he had misled Parliament by stating that no firing had taken place, while claiming that the Bihar government subsequently acknowledged firing in its affidavit.
Tejashwi Yadav alleged that the Centre and state government were attempting to politicise the student issue and mislead the public.
The RJD leader also alleged that the Bihar government was attempting to weaken the August 19 mobilisation by arresting student leaders.
He urged the state government to address the grievances of students rather than suppress their protests.
He also demanded action against the Siwan Superintendent of Police Puran Kumar Jha, saying that merely transferring the officer would not be sufficient.
After the press conference, Tejashwi visited the Gardanibagh protest site, where candidates involved in the TRE-4 agitation were demonstrating.
He met the protesting students and leaders and urged the Bihar government to immediately address their demands.
The August 19 march is thus shaping up as a broader Opposition mobilisation around student grievances, examination transparency, unemployment, recruitment and police accountability, with the Siwan firing controversy serving as its central political flashpoint.
–IANS
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