PATNA: The controversy over AK-47 firing during a student protest in Siwan has emerged as a major political issue, with RJD leader Tejashwi Prasad Yadav seeking the support of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav and urging them to visit Bihar and meet students injured during the police action.
A video showing a policeman opening fire with an AK-47 assault rifle during a student protest in Siwan on July 25 triggered a political controversy. The policeman was subsequently suspended, and departmental proceedings were initiated against him on the orders of the state police headquarters.
According to the police, the constable fired four rounds in the air to protect himself and government property during the protest. The Opposition, however, alleged that the police response against the students was excessive and that the police should have exercised restraint.
Tejashwi questioned how the policeman could have opened fire with an AK-47 rifle if there was no order to use the weapon. He argued that the matter could not be closed by holding a single constable responsible and demanded an impartial probe by the Director General of Police (DGP), along with action against officials found guilty.
The RJD leader also urged Rahul Gandhi and Akhilesh Yadav to raise the issue at the national level. Thanking them for raising the matter in Parliament, he appealed to them to visit Bihar and meet the students injured during the police action in Siwan.
The Supreme Court, while hearing matters relating to alleged police excesses during protests, has also emphasised that peaceful protest is a constitutional right and that police excesses cannot be justified merely because a demonstration is taking place.
Tejashwi also linked the AK-47 controversy to the broader issue of crime and law and order in Bihar. He alleged that the state's image was increasingly becoming that of a "police state". He also accused the government of attempting to cover up the controversial Bharat Tiwari police encounter case.
