Bihar and Jharkhand News
Patna, July 27 (IANS) The arrest of Tej Pratap Yadav, president of the Janshakti Janata Dal (JJD) and elder son of RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav, has continued to trigger political reactions amid the ongoing protests over the NEET paper leak issue.
On Monday, actor-turned-MP Shatrughan Sinha demanded Tej Pratap Yadav’s immediate release and called for the withdrawal of cases registered against protesters during the demonstrations in Bihar.
Posting on social media platform X, Sinha referred to protests held in districts including Patna, Siwan and Chhapra, criticising the administration’s handling of the demonstrations and describing its approach toward protesters as condemnable.
In his post, Sinha urged the Bihar government to withdraw all cases registered in connection with the protests, drawing a comparison with what he described as a settlement reached in Delhi regarding similar demonstrations.
He also called for the immediate release of Tej Pratap Yadav.
The Trinamool Congress MP further questioned whether Tej Pratap Yadav’s arrest was politically motivated. Referring to Tej Pratap’s recent expression of support for Prashant Kishor, Sinha asked whether political considerations linked to the upcoming Bankipur Assembly by-election had influenced the action taken against him.
Tagging Prashant Kishor in his post, Sinha also praised him, describing him as an effective leader.
The controversy comes against the backdrop of widespread student protests across Bihar over alleged examination irregularities, including the NEET paper leak. Demonstrations were held in several districts, during which police detained hundreds of protesters.
Tej Pratap Yadav had participated in one of the protests in support of the students before being arrested. He was subsequently remanded to judicial custody and lodged in Beur Central Jail in Patna.
The Bihar Police have maintained that the action against Tej Pratap Yadav was taken in connection with cases arising from violence during the protests, including allegations of rioting and obstruction of public servants.
His legal team has challenged the arrest and sought bail, while opposition parties continue to criticise the government’s handling of the protests and the subsequent arrests.
