Lathi charge on Bihar PSC aspirants: Rahul, Priyanka condemn
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New Delhi: Over the distressing incident of police using a lathi charge at protesting Bihar Public Service Commission (BPSC) candidates in Patna, the Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, expressed his condemnation. He said that the state's NDA government is resorting to such acts to hide its failures, PTI reported.
Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra also slammed the BJP over the police action, saying the ruling party's only vision is to save its chair and whoever demands employment is oppressed.
In a post in Hindi on X, Rahul Gandhi said, "I had said in Parliament that in the same way that Eklavya's thumb was cut off, the thumbs of the youth were being chopped off by paper leaks."
"The latest example of this is Bihar. BPSC candidates are raising their voices against the paper leak and demanding the cancellation of the exam. But to hide its failure, the NDA government is instead resorting to lathi-charge on the students," the former Congress chief said.
"This is extremely shameful and condemnable. Playing with the future of students will not be tolerated. We are with them and will fight to get them justice," he said.
Chaos erupted during a protest in Patna on Wednesday over the alleged leak of a question paper of the December 13 combined preliminary exam conducted by BPSC, prompting the police to baton charge job aspirants.
Job seekers claimed that several protesters were injured during the police action, but a senior officer denied the charge.
"Lathi's charge on youths who had their hands folded is the height of cruelty. In BJP rule, youths demanding employment are beaten with sticks. Be it UP, Bihar or Madhya Pradesh - if youths raise their voice, they are brutally beaten," Priyanka Gandhi said in a post in Hindi on her WhatsApp channel.
The police registered a case against protestors in connection with Wednesday's incident. The protesters claimed that several job seekers were injured in the baton charge, which the police denied.
Video clips of the police action against job aspirants went viral on social media, with some showing personnel chasing and beating up protesters, including women.