Janshakti Janata Dal (JJD) national president Tej Pratap Yadav was arrested on Saturday evening in connection with alleged vandalism and arson during the Bihar bandh earlier in the day. A Patna court later remanded him to 14 days of judicial custody.
The Bihar bandh was called by Left-wing student organisations to protest the alleged NEET question paper leak and police action against students. Demonstrations turned violent in several districts, including Patna, Saran, Siwan, Aurangabad and Bhagalpur.
According to reports, Tej Pratap joined protesters at Ram Gulam Chowk near Gandhi Maidan in Patna. He was initially detained during the protest but later released.
"The children's demands are legitimate. The government must fulfil their demands, and we stand firmly with them. I am ready to lay down my life for the students and youth," Yadav told reporters.
Police later reviewed CCTV footage and reportedly found evidence suggesting that Tej Pratap had incited protesters during the demonstration. Based on the findings, he was arrested from a shopping mall in Patna on Saturday evening.
Tej Pratap's supporters accused the Patna Police of refusing to disclose the charges under which he was arrested. His lawyer, Jagannath Singh, said a bail petition will be filed on Monday seeking his release.
The protests, led by Left-wing student organisations, witnessed clashes between demonstrators and police in several parts of the state.
"They pelted us with stones. They even tried to break the barricades. We have detained several students. Police are on high alert. We will identify the troublemakers and take appropriate action against them," Patna Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Kartikeya K. Sharma told reporters.
Meanwhile, Leader of the Opposition in the Bihar Assembly Tejashwi Yadav alleged that police opened fire on protesters in Siwan district and criticised Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary over the incident.
Sharing a purported video of the incident on X, Tejashwi wrote, "During the protest in Siwan, police resorted to direct firing with an AK-47 on students. When a criminal becomes chief minister, the police fire bullets at innocent students."
Authorities, however, did not confirm Tejashwi's allegation of police firing on the protesters.
