Patna: Leader of Opposition in the Bihar Assembly, Tejashwi Yadav, on Monday termed the suspension of a police personnel over the alleged firing of an AK-47 rifle during the July 25 ‘Bihar Bandh’ protests in Siwan district as merely a ‘token gesture’, and demanded accountability from the state government over the incident.
Speaking to IANS, Tejashwi Yadav said: “This is not a major action; it is merely a token gesture. Such large-scale protests have taken place across the country, yet an AK-47 has never been used during any protest before. If they examine the video footage, they will see that the AK-47 was pointed directly at the students. This (suspension) is only a symbolic action. The real question is: on whose orders was this action taken?”
Questioning the role of the state administration, he asked: “Is the Superintendent of Police answerable or not? Are the Home Ministry and the Chief Minister not responsible? Why are they silent? When there was an agreement in Delhi that no action would be taken against the students, on what basis was this action carried out?”
Targeting the Bihar government, the Rashtriya Janata Dal leader said: “The Chief Minister already has an image of crime, and now he is trying to create an image of police hooliganism. The Home Ministry should clarify how many students have been detained, in which police stations they are being held, and why force was used against them. The action taken against one police personnel is merely for show. By suspending a single officer, they are trying to shield those senior officials who allegedly ordered the firing.”
Drawing a comparison with the farmers’ protest, he claimed that the government was attempting to mislead students in a similar manner.
“Just as they deceived farmers after reaching an agreement during the farmers’ protest, they are now trying to deceive students. The BJP-led NDA government is not worthy of trust. They promote people with tainted images, which is why they made Samrat Choudhary the Chief Minister. Students are being fired upon by the police. I have met those students. There are established ways to control a crowd, but will you directly open fire at students? If paper leaks and scams continue, won’t people come out on the streets? Is this democracy?” he said.
Reacting to the upcoming Bankipur Assembly by-election, Tejashwi Yadav expressed confidence in his party’s prospects.
“The Bankipur Assembly by-election is approaching, and we are contesting it with full strength. We are confident of winning. The people of Bihar have witnessed Samrat Choudhary’s 100 days in office. Name one significant achievement during this period. Apart from using bulldozers to demolish the homes of the poor, opening fire on students, making irresponsible statements, and behaving like a hooligan, what else has he done?” he told IANS.
(IANS)
