Bihar NEET protest violence sparks opposition warning of major demo

A statewide bandh was called in Bihar to protest an alleged leak of the NEET examination paper. Student organisations such as AISA and the Rashtriya Yuva Andolan organised demonstrations in Patna, Siwan, Chapra, Saran, Aurangabad and other districts. The protests turned violent, with stone‑pelting, arson, police lathi‑charges, tear‑gas shells and, in Siwan, police firing in the air to disperse crowds. Police vehicles were torched and several officers were injured; dozens of protesters were detained.

Opposition leaders, including RJD MLA Tejashwi Yadav and Janshakti Janata Dal president Tej Pratap Yadav, were arrested during the unrest. Yadav warned the state government of a "massive" or "major" protest if FIRs against the demonstrators are not withdrawn, despite a recent centre‑level agreement to cancel cases. He also alleged that police used AK‑47 fire in some districts.

The Bihar government deployed roughly 70,000 additional police personnel, cancelled officer leaves and secured key locations such as Gandhi Maidan, JP Golambar and the state secretariat. The bandh disrupted traffic, closed schools in several districts and drew support from other opposition parties. The situation remains tense as negotiations over case withdrawals continue.