Rohit Kumar
NEW DELHI, July 27: Even as the BJP continued to deny, the police have confirmed the Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s allegations that AK-47 rifle was used against student protesters in Bihar on Saturday and pellet guns against the marchers to the Parliament House in Delhi on July 20.
A policeman in Bihar was suspended on Monday after a video of him using AK-47 rifle against protesting students during the July 25 ‘Bihar Bandh’ protests in Siwan district went viral.
The state-wide shutdown witnessed large-scale demonstrations by student organizations across several districts in Bihar with clashes reported between protesters and police at multiple locations before the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) withdrew the agitation following the resignation by the then union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan.
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.
The condition of the three injured protesters, who are undergoing treatment at Jayprabha Medanta Hospital in Patna, is reported to be stable. Among the injured 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.
In Delhi investigation by the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) has revealed that the Rapid Action Force (RAF) did fire from pellet guns on the student agitators when violence broke out during their march to the Parliament House on July 20. Media reports said seven rounds were fired from the pellet of which five had hit the agitators while two fell on the ground.
Tejashwi Yadav, the leader of opposition in Bihar, called for action against guilty officials and posted a video of the incident, where a cop can be seen firing at the students. Rahul Gandhi had raised the use of pellet guns and in the face of denial by the government of use of firearms against any student demonstrators had presented the pellet-struck agitator Sahil before the media pointing out that one of his eyes was damaged due to pellet-hit.
Mr Gandhi, the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, had also raised the issue in the House and said the pattern is same everywhere – pointing to the use of pellet guns in Delhi against protesting students and AK-47s in Bihar and also accused the government of being “dishonest” and incapable of fulfilling its promises.
The BJP national spokesperson Sambit Patra on Monday had accused M Gandhi of “spreading lies” and threatened actions against the Congress leader while insisting that neither AK-47 rifle nor the pellet gun was used against the student protesters. The BJP MP Nishikant Dubey even threatened to file a notice in the Lok Sabha to remove Mr Gandhi as the Leader of the Opposition for spreading lies and other issues.
Reacting to the Bihar cop allegedly using AK-47 on student protesters, Arvind Kejriwal-led Aam Aadmi Party claimed that the “BJP has turned democracy into a firing range.”
Police officials stated that maintaining law and order is the force’s primary responsibility and that any violation of established procedures was taken seriously. They added that a detailed departmental inquiry has been initiated, and further action would be determined based on the findings of the investigation. The investigation is expected to determine whether the use of the firearm complied with police protocols and whether any further disciplinary or legal action was warranted.
A large number of students gathered in the city and marched towards Gandhi Maidan as part of the state-wide shutdown. While students were raising slogans, the situation deteriorated after an altercation broke out between protesters and the police.
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