AISA protesters clashed with police during a march towards Raj Bhavan in Patna.
Police used water cannons, tear gas and a baton charge to disperse them.
Students demanded Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation over alleged exam irregularities and paper leaks.
Violent clashes erupted between students and police in Patna on Wednesday after a protest march demanding Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation was stopped from proceeding towards Raj Bhavan.
The demonstrators, who had gathered under the banner of the All India Students’ Association (AISA), were protesting against alleged paper leaks in competitive examinations and corruption in the education system. The march came two days after the student agitation at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar.
Police Stop March, Use Tear Gas, Water Canons
A large number of protesters began marching towards Raj Bhavan before being stopped by security personnel at JP Golambar, near Gandhi Maidan. Police had erected multiple layers of barricades to prevent the procession from advancing towards the Governor’s residence.
Officials repeatedly asked the protesters to disperse, but sections of the crowd allegedly attempted to push through the barricades. The confrontation soon escalated into clashes between the demonstrators and the police, Indian Express reported.
Security personnel first deployed water cannons and fired tear gas shells before carrying out a baton charge to disperse the gathering. Despite the police action, several protesters remained at the site and continued raising slogans against the Centre.
Some students also staged a sit-in on the road, while senior police officials attempted to persuade them to end the demonstration peacefully.
Tension subsequently spread to other parts of central Patna as groups of protesters reportedly moved towards Dak Bungalow Chauraha and Gandhi Maidan. Additional police personnel were deployed in the area to maintain law and order.
Protesters Demand Pradhan’s Resignation
The protesters accused the Union government of failing to address alleged irregularities in competitive examinations, including the reported NEET paper leak. They demanded that Pradhan step down as education minister and called for greater accountability in the conduct of national-level examinations.
The demonstration in Patna coincided with the continuing agitation by the Cockroach Janta Party at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi. The protest over alleged irregularities in competitive examinations has now entered its second month.
CJP spokesperson Ashutosh Ranka said the organisation was willing to hold talks with the government if a formal offer was made.
“If the government tried to contact us for talks, we are ready for dialogue,” Ranka said, adding that any discussion should take place either at Jantar Mantar or at a mutually agreed neutral venue.
He said the protesters would not allow the talks to be delayed and maintained that the movement was centred on four principal demands.
Addressing the gathering at Jantar Mantar, Ranka asked demonstrators to restrict themselves to four slogans: “Bharat Mata ki Jai”, “Inquilab Zindabad”, “Jai Bhim” and “Dharmendra Pradhan Istifa do”.
He alleged that certain individuals were attempting to divert the agitation and said the organisation would not permit the use of negative or unrelated slogans.
The Patna clashes mark the latest escalation in the nationwide protests over alleged examination irregularities, with student groups continuing to press the Centre for accountability and reforms in the education and recruitment examination system.
