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Patna Inspector General of Police (IG) Jitendra Rana on Wednesday denied the use of force during the Rashtriya Janata Dal's Lok Bhavan march and said that "water cannons were used" on the crowd as the protestors were being stopped from proceeding further.
Tejashwi Yadav led the foot march with RJD leaders and supporters, raising concerns over alleged examination paper leaks, unemployment and the future of students and young people in the state. Speaking to reporters, Rana said, "The march started from Gandhi Maidan has concluded. A delegation is going to Lok Bhawan. Some of the people who were taken into custody have already left for Lok Bhawan. The police have not used force. Water cannon was used on the crowd." Meanwhile, Leader of Opposition in the Bihar Assembly and Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Tejashwi Yadav, along with several party workers, including RJD MP Misa Bharti, were detained by the police while leading the protest march towards Lok Bhavan. During the protest, some demonstrators climbed onto a bus in which Tejashwi Yadav and other protesters were being taken by the police. After being detained, Yadav said the government was afraid of the youth and asserted that the RJD would continue to raise issues concerning students and unemployment. Speaking to reporters, Yadav said, "The government is afraid of the youth, the public.. No government is permanent; every government has to go one day... We have the support of everyone. We will keep the fight on. We are not afraid of the jail... We will always raise our voice for the rights of the students, curb unemployment, stop paper leaks, transparency in examinations..." RJD MP Misa Bharti, who was also detained by the police, said that students in Bihar were ready to go to jail but would continue their protest until the District Magistrate of Siwan was suspended. "The students of Bihar are ready to go to jail, but will be stern on their demands till the District Magistrate of Siwan is suspended; RJD and Bihar's public will not stop... The government might as well order the use of guns in a few days..." she told reporters. The march comes amid a controversy over the use of an AK-47 rifle during a student protest in Siwan. The Bihar government told the Supreme Court that a police constable had fired four rounds from an AK-47 into the air after being trapped in a crowd, while maintaining that no protester was injured by the firing. The constable has been suspended. (ANI)
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