Bihar govt 'lathi-maar sarkaar': Congress seeks judicial probe into teacher recruitment 'irregularities'

New Delhi: Dubbing the Bihar government "lathi-maar sarkaar", the Congress on Tuesday condemned the Patna police's baton-charging of aspirants who held a sit-in demanding the release of supplementary results of a teacher recruitment exam and called for a judicial probe into "irregularities" in the recruitment process.

The opposition party also demanded action against officers responsible for baton-charging the aspirants as well as an audit of the Bihar Public Service Commission (BPSC).

Chaos erupted near the official residence of Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar in Patna when the police baton-charged the protesting aspirants.

The demonstrators, demanding the release of the Teacher Recruitment Exam (TRE-3) supplementary result, protested outside the gates of the chief minister's 1, Anne Marg, residence. The entire area is a high-security zone and no such protest is allowed.

Addressing a press conference at the Congress' 24, Akbar Road, office here, party leader Kanhaiya Kumar condemned the incident and alleged that the "double engine government" was pushing the future of students into darkness.

"There is shameful news coming of a barbaric lathi-charge on students by police in Patna. Lathi-charge is needed because the government is arrogant," the AICC's NSUI in-charge said.

The government conducted the TRE-3 and questions were raised over its results, with allegedly one person getting selected from more than one place.

"The government has taken no responsibility… We condemn the lathi-charge and demand that a judicial probe be conducted into the irregularities," Kumar said.

He also demanded action against the officers responsible for the baton-charge and a judicial probe into the incident.

Kumar said the rural employment situation was very concerning in Bihar, with an unemployment rate of about 30 per cent.

"Students are staying in inhuman conditions, studying in dim light for exams and, when it comes to jobs, they are not given jobs timely," he said.

There are four lakh posts vacant in Bihar. In the education sector alone, there are two lakh posts vacant, Kumar said.

"Question is why has the politics become so insensitive. In Bihar, there is 'lathi-maar sarkaar', not 'palti-maar sarkaar'. The government is not willing to listen to students," the Congress leader alleged.

A large number of the protesters, carrying placards, raised slogans against the state government and the BPSC, which conducted the exam.

Anu Kumari, the Sachiwalay-1 sub-divisional police officer (SDPO), requested the protesters to immediately vacate the area, where such activities are restricted.

When the protesters refused to budge, the police resorted to baton-charge. The SDPO, however, refused to speak to reporters.

The protesters claimed that several persons were injured in the baton-charge but the officials denied this claim.

One of the protesting candidates, Kriti Dutta, said they had been protesting in the Gardanibagh area for four months.The BPSC conducted the exam in March 2024 and 87,774 posts were announced under TRE-3.

However, only around 51,000 candidates have received appointment letters so far. The authorities had earlier promised a supplementary result but nothing has happened yet.