Oppn Asks ‘Where Is Amit Shah?’ Over AK-47 Use At Bihar Protest
A viral video purportedly shows a police constable carrying and allegedly using an AK-47 rifle during a student protest in Bihar’s Siwan district on July 25
The Congress on Monday intensified its attack on the BJP-led government over allegations that police used AK-47 rifles against protesting students in Bihar, with Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi demanding that Prime Minister Narendra Modi apologise to students and take action against those responsible.
The controversy follows a viral video purportedly showing a police constable carrying and allegedly using an AK-47 rifle during a student protest in Bihar’s Siwan district on July 25. The incident has led to the suspension of the constable and the launch of a departmental inquiry.
Siwan Superintendent of Police Puran Kumar Jha told PTI that no one was injured in police firing and said personnel had been specifically instructed not to open fire during the protest. However, Hindustan Times reported that at least three students were injured in the alleged police firing, with officials investigating whether the injuries were caused by police bullets.
Seizing on the reports, Rahul Gandhi accused the government of using excessive force against students.
“The entire system is downright murderous against students. Reports are coming in that AK-47s have been fired at protesting students in Bihar, and hundreds have been arrested and booked under FIRs,” Gandhi said in a post on social media.
Questioning the prime minister over the police action, Gandhi referred to Modi’s earlier assurance that no FIRs would be filed against protesting students.
“Modi ji, what happened to your promise that no FIRs would be filed against students and that they would be released? Instead, they are being subjected to deadly attacks and brutality,” he said.
Drawing parallels with the police response to student demonstrations in the national capital, Gandhi alleged a pattern of suppressing protests.
“Pellet guns were used against students in Delhi, and AK-47s in Bihar. Whether it is Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Bihar or Delhi, the pattern is the same everywhere,” he said.
“I have said it before: this government is dishonest. Reform is beyond its capability. It will renege on its promises and use every tactic to suppress the students’ voices.”
He demanded that the prime minister “apologise to the country’s students” and initiate action against those who had “attacked and brutalised” them.
Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra also criticised the reported use of force, saying students should not be treated as enemies of the state.
“The protesting students are not terrorists,” she said.
Referring to reports that FIRs were still being registered against students in Bihar and West Bengal, Priyanka Gandhi claimed she had heard, though had not independently verified, that parents of girls participating in the protests had received calls questioning why they had allowed their daughters to join the demonstrations.
“Can’t girls protest? Pellet guns, AK-47s, are they terrorists? What is wrong with these people?” she asked. “And what was the need for AK-47s and such weapons at the protest site? The students are not terrorists.”
Congress general secretary (organisation) K.C. Venugopal also targeted Union Home Minister Amit Shah, asking him to explain “who ordered the use of AK-47s in Bihar and pellet guns in Delhi during the students’ protests.”
Congress MP and senior lawyer Manish Tewari questioned whether the use of pellet guns or assault rifles could ever be justified against unarmed demonstrators.
“The fundamental question is whether pellet guns or AK-47 rifles can be used against unarmed, non-violent protesters. The answer is absolutely no,” Tewari said.
Referring to Supreme Court guidelines on crowd control, he said authorities are expected to follow a graded response while handling protests.
“The Supreme Court has laid down a standard operating procedure. Authorities must first announce prohibitory orders, then, if necessary, use water cannons, followed by lathi-charge and tear gas. Firing is permitted only in the most extreme circumstances and only on the orders of the duty magistrate or the senior-most police officer present,” he said.
“What happened to unarmed students in Bihar was barbaric, inhuman and an atrocity. Excessive and coercive force should never be used without clear orders from the highest level,” Tewari added.
The BJP, however, rejected the Congress allegations, accusing Rahul Gandhi of attempting to create unrest through misinformation.
The ruling party said Gandhi was trying to “manufacture a protest” and spread “canards and falsity” by claiming that AK-47 rifles had been used against agitating students in Bihar. It described his remarks as “not only deeply unfortunate, but a sin,” and demanded that he apologise for making what it called false allegations.
The protests in Bihar were organised by Left-affiliated student organisations on July 25 as part of a statewide bandh over the NEET paper leak controversy and police action against student protesters in Delhi and elsewhere. While most demonstrations remained peaceful, some turned violent.
Leader of Opposition in the Bihar Assembly Tejashwi Yadav also alleged that police had fired AK-47 rifles during the Siwan protest, further escalating the political confrontation.
The Bihar protests come days after the Cockroach Janta Party-led “Sansad Chalo” march in Delhi on July 20, where police used pellet guns, batons and tear gas to disperse demonstrators protesting against the NEET paper leak. The incidents have intensified the political debate over police handling of student protests, with the opposition alleging excessive use of force and the government maintaining that law enforcement acted within the bounds of maintaining public order.
The inquiry into the Siwan incident is ongoing, and authorities are expected to determine whether any police personnel violated operational protocols during the protests.
