Tejashwi Yadav to lead RJD march over student issues and Siwan firing

The Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) will hold a ‘Lok Bhawan March’ in Patna on 19 August to protest against the Bihar government over a range of student and youth-related concerns, including paper leaks, unemployment, recruitment irregularities and the alleged firing of an AK-47 by a police constable during a demonstration in Siwan.

Leader of Opposition Tejashwi Yadav has announced that the march will begin at 11 am from the RJD’s state headquarters and proceed towards Lok Bhawan. Party MPs, MLAs, MLCs, workers and supporters are expected to participate.

Posters publicising the demonstration have appeared across the state capital, including outside the RJD headquarters, as the party steps up its campaign against the Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary-led government.

RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav, in a post on X, accused the government of failing to address the concerns of students and young people. He cited repeated paper leaks, problems in the education system, alleged discrimination in recruitment and the shortage of employment opportunities among the principal causes of discontent.

He also questioned why an AK-47 was allegedly used against students exercising their democratic right to protest and urged people to gather in Patna on 19 August.

The Siwan incident took place during a student protest on 25 July, when Constable Abhishek Kumar was accused of opening fire with an AK-47. Siwan Superintendent of Police Puran Kumar Jha subsequently suspended the constable.

Tejashwi Yadav, however, has maintained that action against the constable alone is inadequate. He has sought an investigation into the role and responsibility of senior police officials, including the Siwan SP, and demanded wider accountability for the episode.

Through the march, the RJD intends to connect the Siwan controversy with broader concerns surrounding Bihar’s examination and recruitment systems, the quality of education and employment prospects for young people.

The protest is expected to intensify the political confrontation between the RJD-led Opposition and the NDA government, with the party seeking to place youth-related issues at the centre of its campaign.

With IANS inputs