A day after a protest by the Akhil Bhartiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) here against the ‘failing education system’ turned violent, leading to police action, the Opposition Bharatiya Janata Party on Friday created pandemonium in both Houses of the Bihar legislature. Party MLAs raised anti-government slogans and demanded the release of all arrested students. (The ABVP is the student outfit of the BJP).
The BJP legislators later boycotted proceedings for the day.
“The police action against the students was barbaric and reminded us of Emergency days under the Congress regime,” said Leader of the Opposition Nand Kishore Yadav, while senior BJP leader Sushil Kumar Modi reminded Chief Minister Nitish Kumar that both of them had emerged from student politics.
“The police used force on agitating students as if they were criminals. The Chief Minister should not forget that we all have come from student politics,” said Mr. Modi.
However, ruling JD(U) legislature party leader Vijay Chaudhury rejected the Opposition charge and defended the police action.
Mr. Chaudhury requested Speaker Uday Narayan Chaudhury to share video footage, saying the protesters provoked the police to use force. He said “each and every detail of the incident is on video and I’d request you to invite all the members of the House to see it in the presence of the Bihar Governor.”
The police opened fire in the air and baton-charged the protesting ABVP members while taking 34 of them into custody on Thursday. The arrested were later remanded in custody. Over three dozen injured students were admitted to the government hospital in Patna.
