UP police cane students protesting against Railway recruitment test; 3 cops suspended

Several students, who had squatted on the tracks at Prayagraj in protest against the Railway recruitment test were injured, some seriously, when the police made a lathi charge to disperse them and clear the tracks on Tuesday.

Many videos surfaced on social media showing the cops breaking the doors of inns and guesthouses near the Prayagraj railway station to flush out the students, who had taken refuge there to save themselves from the lathi charge.

The videos also showed the cops hitting the students with lathis after forcing them out of the rooms from the inns and guest houses. Three cops were suspended on charges of using excessive force, the officials said in Prayagraj.

A case was lodged against 1500 students, the officials said, adding that an inquiry would be conducted into the police lathi charge and the guilty cops would not be spared.

The students were protesting against the recruitment of the 'non-popular technical category' organised by the Railway Recruitment Board (RRB) examination. They alleged that the Railway in its notification had earlier said that 20 per cent of candidates would be selected for the second examination but it was later revealed that only five per cent had been selected from the first examination.

The reported police brutality was taken up by the Opposition parties in the poll-bound state, which slammed the cops and said that the youths would give the BJP a befitting reply in the forthcoming assembly polls.

Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra said that there would be 'inquilab' (protest) against the police brutality and BJP's 'arrogance' would be 'shattered' in the polls.

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