Patna (Bihar):The anger of students and youth in Bihar refuses to die down as All India Students Association (AISA) and other youth organisations have called for a state-wide bandh today in protest against the alleged discrepancies in the Railway Recruitment Board’s (RRB) NTPC stage 1 exam results.
The strike call has the support of many political parties as well. While all the constituent parties of Bihar Mahagathbandhan are coming out in support of the students, all the wings of the Jan Adhikar Party are also backing the shutdown. Student organization Inquilabi Naujawan Sabha has also supported the bandh call.
Apart from the alleged rigging in the exam results, the students and youth have called the state-wide shutdown against the lathi charge, lawsuit and arrest of their agitating colleagues.
On Thursday, all the constituent parties of the grand alliance held a press conference against the attitude being adopted by the government against the students. During this, RJD state president Jagdanand Singh gave a stern warning to the government along with announcing his support for the Bihar bandh.
In a joint statement issued here, the RJD, Congress, CPI and CPI(M) said, “Bihar has the highest number of young people in the country and has the highest unemployment rate. Students are being cheated by the Central as well as Bihar governments.” “It keeps promising jobs for them but when they come out on the streets demanding jobs, the Nitish Kumar government rains baton on them.”
Meanwhile, former state Chief Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi, who heads the NDA constituent- Hindustani Awam Morcha (Secular), also came in support of the protesting students. In the wake of FIRs lodged against several teachers of coaching institutes in Patna, Manjhi on Thursday said that such a step can only help intensify the students’ agitation.
“FIRs against teachers like Khan Sir could further provoke students for undeclared agitations in Bihar. The time has come for the governments to talk on unemployment and come out with a solution,” Manjhi said.