Patna, Jul 24 (PTI) Two days after violent protests erupted in Bihar’s Patna over the NEET paper leak issue, CPI(ML) Liberation MLA Sandeep Saurav was arrested on Friday for allegedly inciting violence in the state capital.
Saurav had participated in the protests carried out by the All India Students’ Association (AISA) on Wednesday, which turned violent, leading to alleged assault of BJP leaders and damage to their vehicles.
“He has been arrested and sent to judicial custody,” Patna SSP Kartikeya K Sharma told PTI.
The CPI(ML) Liberation MLA’s involvement in the protests had also elicited a sharp reaction from NDA legislators in the Bihar assembly, who accused him of inciting violence during the agitation.
A day after the Patna protests, agitators in Jehanabad, Darbhanga, Katihar, Begusarai and several other districts on Thursday allegedly hurled stones at police personnel, breached barricades and “vandalised” government properties during the demonstrations over the paper leak and the demand for resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.
More than 114 protesters were apprehended across several districts on Thursday, and at least 32 arrests were made on Friday, officials said.
A Bihar bandh has been called by AISA and other student organisations in the state on Saturday.
Meanwhile, the Bihar government on Friday directed district administrations and police officials to deal with protests over the NEET paper leak with sensitivity and caution.
Officials were also told to maintain close coordination and ensure that innocent students were not harassed while preserving law and order.
The directions were issued at a high-level virtual meeting chaired by Chief Secretary Pratyaya Amrit to review the law and order situation in Patna and other districts.
Amrit also asked officials to promptly counter rumours and misleading information through official communication, and said the state government was closely monitoring the situation.
No anti-social elements would be allowed to take the law into their own hands, he asserted.
DGP (Operations) Kundan Krishnan urged officials to resolve the situation through dialogue with students in an “empathetic” manner and avoid “aggressive” approach, an official statement said.
Authorities have also been told to seek written details of online and offline attendance from coaching institutes.
The police headquarters was maintaining strict surveillance over “117 identified suspects” allegedly involved in disturbing public peace, the statement said.
Krishnan also asked police officers to visit Ambedkar hostels and Ambedkar student forums to interact with them and address grievances and misconceptions. PTI SUK PKD RBT
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