Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Tejashwi Yadav on Thursday refrained from giving a detailed response when asked about the ongoing student protest in Jharkhand over alleged recruitment examination irregularities. Speaking to the media, he said, "We will talk about it tomorrow... we'll talk about it tomorrow," while focusing his press conference on Bihar's law and order situation and the Banti Yadav murder case. His brief response came at a time when the Jharkhand government has initiated the process of holding talks with protesting students, who have already constituted an 11-member delegation to represent their demands.
Focus remains on Bihar's law and order
Instead of discussing the Jharkhand agitation, Tejashwi devoted most of his press conference to criticising the Bihar government over what he described as the deteriorating law and order situation in the state. He raised the issue of the Banti Yadav murder case and alleged that the killing took place after Banti Yadav spoke out against an alleged sex racket.
'He was killed after raising his voice against a sex racket'
Tejashwi claimed that Banti Yadav was murdered after he challenged those allegedly involved in a sex racket. He also accused the police of serious negligence in handling the case. According to him, members of the victim's family were facilitated in meeting the Director General of Police (DGP), following which several accused were arrested. However, he claimed that some suspects are still absconding.
Highlighting the family's financial condition, Tejashwi announced that he and his party would support Banti Yadav's children. "We will bear the entire educational expenses of Banti Yadav's two daughters and one son until Class 12. We have also handed over a cheque of Rs 5 lakh to the family for this purpose," he said.
He also urged the Bihar government to provide a government job to Banti Yadav's wife and ensure a fair and impartial investigation into the murder. Police had carried out raids at multiple locations following the killing as part of the investigation.
Targets Bihar govt over rising crime
Tejashwi also attacked the Bihar government over the alleged rise in crime, saying that despite the state having two Deputy Chief Ministers, neither had time to address the concerns of ordinary people. Referring to an incident in Dinara, he alleged that a man was shot after he went to demand his pending wages.
He said he and other party leaders would visit the victim's family in the coming days. The RJD leader also referred to a firing incident in Siwan and questioned who had authorised the use of AK-47 rifles.
He further raised questions over the murder of an Executive Officer (EO), alleging that a legislator's name had surfaced in the case. Questioning the government's approach, he asked whether any action similar to encounters carried out in other cases had been taken against the MLA concerned.
Jharkhand protest continues to draw attention
The ongoing student protest in Jharkhand has become one of the biggest youth-led movements in the state in recent years. Aspirants have been demanding the cancellation of the 14th JPSC Civil Services Examination, an independent probe into the alleged recruitment irregularities, and structural reforms in the Jharkhand Public Service Commission (JPSC) and the Jharkhand Staff Selection Commission (JSSC).
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