Fresh protests erupted in Patna on Tuesday as hundreds of students and youth activists marched towards Bihar Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary's residence against the alleged police crackdown on last month's agitation over the NEET paper leak. Police dispersed the protesters using water cannons.
Waving flags of organisations such as the NSUI, AISF and DYFI, the protesters assembled at Gandhi Maidan and marched towards the chief minister's residence before being stopped by police barricades near the Income Tax roundabout, around two kilometres away.
The protesters demanded the release of all students arrested during last month's statewide agitation and withdrawal of criminal cases lodged against them.
"We want a verified list of those who have been released from jail and those who are still behind bars after being arrested during the protests," one of the demonstrators said.
Nearly 600 people were detained by Bihar Police while enforcing a bandh called last month to demand the resignation of then Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over the alleged paper leak.
Police later released around half of them after finding they were minors, while the remaining were sent to jail.
Although the state Home Department subsequently announced that all cases against the students would be withdrawn and those in jail released after a delegation led by AISA president Neha met DGP Vinay Kumar, the protesters alleged that the assurance had not been implemented.
"Many of our friends are yet to return home. The police are lying. We are worried about our friends," screamed another protester at the Gandhi Maidan.
Another activist from Siwan said, "I come from the district where a police personnel had fired at students from an AK-47 rifle. The constable has been suspended, but we also seek action against the SP, who is responsible for making his subordinates trigger-happy.
Independent Purnea MP Pappu Yadav and state Congress president Rajesh Ram joined the protesters. Ram was among a handful of leaders who were taken away by police after the water cannons were used.
Sub-Divisional Police Officer Amarendra Kumar Jha said the police resorted to water cannons after the protesters attempted to enter a prohibited zone.
"We have not detained anyone but only helped a delegation, picked up from among the protesters, appear before a competent authority for presenting their grievances," he said.
(With inputs from PTI)