New Delhi, July 27: Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Monday criticised the BJP-led Centre over the alleged use of force against protesting students, while referring to the use of an AK-47 during a protest in Bihar. Speaking to reporters outside Parliament, Priyanka Gandhi said, “First guns, now AK-47s, pellet guns! Are they terrorists? What’s wrong with these people?
They (BJP) have again registered FIRs against students in Bihar and Bengal. They have not given up their old habits. I have heard, though I have not verified it, that the parents of several girls are being threatened and questioned about why they allowed their daughters to participate in the protest. What does this mean? Can’t girls in India take part in protests?”
Congress MP K.C. Venugopal also reacted and said, “An AK-47 was used. Are these people terrorists? Are the students and youths terrorists?” He said the Centre must explain who ordered the use of an AK-47 in Bihar and pellets during the agitation in Delhi.
Meanwhile, a police personnel was suspended following the firing of an AK-47 rifle during the July 25 ‘Bihar Bandh’ protests in Siwan district. The action was taken on the directions of Bihar Police Headquarters after a video purportedly showing the personnel firing the weapon during clashes with protesters went viral on social media.
The statewide shutdown witnessed large-scale demonstrations by student organisations across several districts, with clashes reported between protesters and police at multiple locations. In Siwan, the situation turned violent as protesters and police confronted each other, leading to the use of force to disperse the crowd.
According to official information, the Bihar Police Headquarters took serious note of the viral footage allegedly showing a police constable firing an AK-47 during the protest and subsequently ordered his suspension. Police officials stated that maintaining law and order is the force’s primary responsibility and that any violation of established procedures is taken seriously. They added that a detailed departmental inquiry has been initiated, and further action will be determined based on the findings of the investigation.
Meanwhile, the condition of the three injured protesters, who are undergoing treatment at Jayprabha Medanta Hospital in Patna, is reported to be stable. Among them is 15-year-old Md. Arif, who, according to his family, works at a local shop. His relatives said he was returning home after closing the shop during the bandh when he was struck in the neck by a bullet during the unrest.
Doctors successfully removed the bullet during surgery, and his condition is now reported to be stable. Authorities have not yet released the findings of the ongoing inquiry into the circumstances surrounding the firing. The investigation is expected to determine whether the use of the firearm complied with police protocols and whether any further disciplinary or legal action is warranted.
IANS
