'Youth Want Solutions...': RJD Protesters Clash With Police During Raj Bhavan March Over Exam, Tejashwi Yadav Detained

Patna: High-voltage drama unfolded on the streets of the Bihar capital as security forces deployed water cannons and heavy barricading to intercept a massive protest march organised by the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) toward Raj Bhavan.

The foot march, led by Opposition leaders including Tejashwi Yadav, turned into a tense standoff near key city intersections as thousands of party workers and youth demonstrators attempted to break through police lines to reach the Governor’s residence.

Flashpoint at the Barricades

What began as a disciplined rally from central Patna quickly escalated when protesters pushed past initial police checkpoints. As the crowd advanced toward Raj Bhavan, security personnel triggered high-pressure water cannons to scatter the marchers.

Visuals from the ground showed police forces in riot gear lining the boulevards while RJD cadre, holding placards condemning government recruitment failures, stood their ground against water jets, raising slogans against the state administration.

Leader of the Opposition in the Bihar Assembly and Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Tejashwi Yadav on Wednesday said the government will have to bow down as police used water cannon to disperse protesters during a foot march towards Lok Bhavan in Patna.

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.

Yadav said, "The public has awakened and is on the streets. The government will have to bow down. Such actions will not work."

The demonstration comes as part of mounting public anger over systemic leakages in state competitive and recruitment exams, ranging from administrative services to public school teaching tests.

Tensions were further stoked by recent student demonstrations in Siwan, where police reportedly used harsh measures, including allegations from opposition leaders regarding the firing of automatic weapons, to disperse youth. RJD leaders have demanded the immediate suspension of top district officials involved.

RJD leaders emphasised that with state examination bodies facing severe credibility crises, the Governor must step in as the constitutional custodian of the state to enforce accountability.

RJD MP Misa Bharti, who also joined the march, questioned the use of an AK-47 during a student protest and alleged that the Bihar government was "killing the future" of students in the state.

Speaking to ANI, Bharti said, "We have heard that the Bihar government in the Supreme Court has admitted that the AK-47 was used (against students). The Bihar govt should have been asked by the court who permitted the use of AK-47 in a protest. If the DM gave permission, he should be suspended. This Bihar govt is killing the future of students of Bihar."

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.

Meanwhile, RJD MP Manoj Jha, who participated in the foot march, said students and youth across the country, particularly in Bihar, were angry over recurring paper leaks and unemployment.

Speaking to ANI, Jha said, "Students and youth across the country, especially in Bihar, are angry. Paper leaks have become a pattern. Young people can no longer bear the burden of unemployment. They do not want rhetoric; they want solutions," Jha said.

RJD MLA Alok Kumar Mehta said the party was marching with students and youth to submit a memorandum to the Governor highlighting their concerns, including the issue of paper leaks.

"It is our right, and when the government does not listen, the Governor is the constitutional custodian of the state. Under the senior leadership, we are going with the youth and students of Bihar. We will submit a memorandum to the Governor regarding students' problems, including the paper leak issue," Mehta said.