New Delhi: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Sunday lashed out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Bihar Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary over the police crackdown on protesting students in Bihar, questioning whether shattered aspirations could ever be repaired even if fractured bones healed, PTI reported.
Gandhi posted a video of his recent meeting with students and young job aspirants from Bihar who, he said, suffered “horrific police brutality” for speaking out against purported irregularities in the state’s examination and recruitment system.
‘What Sin Had These Children Committed?’
In a Hindi message posted alongside the video, Gandhi said, “Imagine, what sin had these children committed that they were shot with bullets? They had only asked the government for three things — education, employment, and accountability.”
He alleged that an AK‑47 round had shattered the leg bone of one student, extinguishing his ambition to enlist in the Army and serve the country, while two others sustained bullet injuries to their shoulders.
“The bone in one student’s leg was broken by an AK-47 bullet. His dream of joining the army and serving the nation vanished along with it. Bullets tore through the shoulders of two other students,” the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha said.
‘Protesters Were Not Criminals’
Stressing that the protesters were not criminals but children from economically disadvantaged households carrying their families’ hopes, Gandhi said some were chasing decent jobs while others sought to transform their family’s future.
“The bullet wounds will heal, but where is the hospital that treats the fear that has now settled deep inside these children?” Gandhi questioned.
“Prime minister ji, chief minister ji, their broken bones would be fixed. Can you restore their shattered dreams?” he said.
‘Youth Cannot Be silenced Forever’
During an earlier meeting with the Bihar students on Thursday, Gandhi warned that any government that silences the voices of young people would ultimately be held accountable by the electorate, adding that such a day was not far away.
“Police lathis as well as gunfire from AK-47 and pistols left many students injured. A young man aspiring to serve the country in the Army had his leg battered by an AK-47 bullet — and with it, his life-long dream was also shattered,” Gandhi said in a Hindi post on X.
These youngsters, he added, were simply asking for fair chances, a transparent exam system and their rightful opportunities.
He questioned the necessity of deploying lathis and firearms against such demands.
“The government cannot absolve itself of responsibility for such extreme brutality by merely blaming a few low-ranking officials. This action is either the result of orders from above or a sign of the administration’s utter failure,” he said.
“No matter what the Bihar government does, I stand with these young people. I am ready to provide them with every possible assistance,” Gandhi had said.
Last month, Patna saw intense clashes between job aspirants and police as demonstrators attempted to march toward the Chief Minister’s residence, demanding a single‑tier teacher recruitment exam and a transparent hiring process.
The student agitation in Bihar, which started in the first week of August, has drawn backing from opposition leaders, including RJD working president Tejashwi Yadav.