Lagatar24 Desk
New Delhi: Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Monday condemned the Bihar government for the police lathi-charge on Bihar Public Service Commission (BPSC) aspirants protesting the alleged question paper leak in the 70th preliminary examination.
Taking to X, Priyanka Gandhi said, “Students were tortured for the second time in three days in Bihar. It is the government’s job to stop corruption, rigging, and paper leaks in examinations.” She accused the BJP-led government of stifling the voices of protesting students through harsh police measures.
“Instead of stopping corruption, students are being prevented from raising their voice. Water cannon and lathi charge on youth in this harsh cold is inhuman. BJP’s double engine has become a symbol of double atrocities on the youth,” Priyanka added.
Opposition Unites Against Police Action
The incident has drawn widespread criticism from opposition parties, including Congress, RJD, AAP, and others within the INDIA bloc.
Former Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav termed the police action “painful.” “It is very painful how BPSC aspirants were beaten up by the police. Many people are badly injured. We condemn this. The visuals are distressing. As a young man, I can understand their situation,” Yadav said.
AAP MP Sanjay Singh described the incident as an example of an “autocratic government’s dictatorship.” Sharing a video of the lathi charge, Singh said, “Nitish Ji, who emerged from the student movement, this was not expected from you. The country will be run not by sticks but by dialogue and the Constitution.”
Demands for Accountability
Prashant Kishor, founder of the Jan Suraaj Party, joined the protests and called for an overhaul of Bihar’s examination process to eliminate corruption. However, Kishor faced an FIR for “unauthorized assembly, incitement, and disturbing public order.”
The protesting aspirants have been demonstrating for over a week, demanding the cancellation of the 70th Integrated Combined Competitive (Preliminary) Examination (CCE), 2024, conducted by BPSC, alleging that the question paper was leaked.
