Rahul meets Bihar youth hit by police action, vows to stand by them

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Thursday, 3 September backed Bihar’s students and youth who he said had faced police brutality for protesting against irregularities in the examination system, while his recent interactions with tribal students in Maharashtra underline his expanding focus on student grievances.

In a post on X, Gandhi said he had met Bihar students and youth who had faced what he described as 'terrible police brutality' for raising their voice against irregularities in examinations. He alleged that students were subjected to lathi-charge and that AK-47 and pistol firing had left some injured.

'Why are lathis and bullets needed for demands of fair opportunities and transparent examinations?' Gandhi asked, holding the Bihar government responsible for the police action.

He said the government could not evade responsibility by blaming lower-level officials, arguing that the use of force either reflected orders from the top or a serious failure of the administration. He also pledged his support to the protesting youth and warned that governments that try to suppress young people would have to answer to the people.

Gandhi's intervention comes a day after he met a delegation of tribal students in Nashik, including students who had been on hunger strike over issues concerning Maharashtra's Adivasi education system. The students raised concerns over conditions in ashram schools and hostels, vacancies in the tribal development department and other problems affecting tribal students.

The meetings are part of a wider student outreach by Gandhi across India under the 'Chhatron Ki Goonj' umbrella. At the Pune chapter of the outreach on 22 August, an Adivasi girl student had raised the issue of the hunger strike by tribal students. Gandhi subsequently wrote to Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis, seeking a relaxation of the age-limit rule for admission to tribal hostels. The Maharashtra government later scrapped the age-limit restriction.

The tribal students' protests in Nashik have also focused on alleged deaths in ashram schools, compensation for affected families, action against officials, better food and facilities, and other welfare concerns. Gandhi's meeting with the students came as their agitation continued.

The Bihar episode has also given Gandhi an opportunity to connect the issue of examination irregularities with his broader political argument that young people seeking education, employment and equal opportunity are being denied a fair chance.

The controversy in Bihar intensified after protests over examination-related issues saw clashes with police. During a 25 July protest in Siwan, a police constable was seen firing an AK-47 and was subsequently suspended, with departmental proceedings initiated against him. The police maintained that the weapon had been fired in the air after clashes with protesters. Claims over injuries caused by the firing remain disputed.

With PTI inputs