Patna: Union minister and NDA ally Chirag Paswan, along with opposition parties in Bihar, on Friday condemned the police lathicharge on teacher aspirants in Patna.Chirag described the police action as “extremely unfortunate and condemnable”.“In a democracy, youth have the right to voice their legitimate demands,” Chirag said.“Thousands of candidates awaiting teacher recruitment have long been hopeful for the issuance of the official notification. Resorting to the use of force instead of listening to their voices runs contrary to the spirit of sensitivity and dialogue,” he added.At the same time, Chirag appealed to aspirants to remain patient, pointing out that the cabinet expansion had taken place only on Thursday. He assured them the govt would take positive steps soon.In a post on X, Chirag urged the govt and administration to seriously consider the candidates’ demands and release the TRE-4 notification without delay.RJD spokesperson Chitranjan Gagan termed the police action “brutal” and demanded action against officials responsible for ordering the lathicharge. He alleged that repeated delays and changing assurances by the govt, education department and BPSC had deepened uncertainty among aspirants.According to Gagan, many candidates were nearing the age limit and facing financial and family pressure. He also claimed several students suffered serious injuries during the police action.CPI-ML state secretary Kunal also condemned the lathicharge, accusing the NDA govt of suppressing the voice of unemployed youth. The party said several candidates sustained head injuries and alleged that women candidates were treated inhumanely. CPI-ML demanded immediate release of TRE-4 vacancies, medical treatment for the injured and action against officials responsible.Bihar Pradesh Congress Committee president Rajesh Ram described the action on teacher candidates as inhuman and repressive. He said the use of kicks, punches and lathis against candidates demanding jobs was a violation of democratic values. He demanded immediate appointment letters for eligible candidates and questioned the govt’s commitment to employment.
