Tejashwi attacks Bihar govt over crime surge and exam ‘mismanagement’

Leader of the Opposition in the Bihar Assembly, Tejashwi Yadav, on Friday launched a sharp attack on the state government, alleging a deterioration in law and order and serious administrative lapses in the conduct of public examinations.

Speaking to reporters before entering the Assembly, Yadav claimed incidents of extortion, murder and sexual assault were “continuously rising” across the state. He alleged that criminals had grown emboldened under the current administration and that ordinary citizens were living in fear.

Taking aim at chief minister Nitish Kumar, the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader said the government had “lost control” of the situation. He further alleged that Kumar had weakened his own authority by relinquishing control of the Home Department to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), a departure from his earlier tenures.

Yadav accused the chief minister of functioning under political pressure and claimed that instead of acting firmly against offenders, the government was targeting opposition leaders. He alleged that little meaningful action was being taken in criminal cases and that those responsible were effectively shielded.

Earlier in the day, Yadav also criticised the administration on social media over the management of school examinations, referring to the recent death of a Class 10 student in Patna district.

According to reports, Komal Kumari, a student from the Masaurhi area, was on her way to sit her first board examination when she was delayed by traffic congestion. Arriving a few minutes late at the examination centre, she was reportedly denied entry under existing rules. Family members said she repeatedly pleaded to be allowed inside but was turned away.

Distressed by the incident, the teenager later died by suicide after allegedly jumping in front of a train.

Yadav described the episode as a failure of the entire system rather than of an individual student. He said it reflected administrative insensitivity and highlighted persistent problems of traffic mismanagement and poor coordination during examinations.

Calling for immediate compensation to the bereaved family, he urged the government to adopt a more humanitarian approach by permitting students who arrive marginally late to sit their examinations. “No rule can be more valuable than a child’s life,” he said, appealing for broader public support to prevent similar tragedies.

The incident has triggered widespread grief and anger in Bihar, fuelling debate over examination procedures, traffic arrangements and administrative accountability. While opposition leaders have labelled it a governance failure, the state administration has announced an inquiry into the matter.

With IANS inputs