Patna, August 19, 2026: Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) National Working President and Bihar Leader of Opposition Tejashwi Yadav has announced a march to the Raj Bhavan, now referred to as Lok Bhavan, in Patna on Wednesday, August 19, with the party seeking answers from the Bihar government over the Siwan student-protest firing and wider concerns related to examinations, jobs and education.
Addressing a press conference at his residence on Polo Road on Tuesday, Tejashwi urged students, young people and members of the public to join the mobilisation.
The Siwan incident was at the centre of his criticism of the state government. He questioned the circumstances in which an AK-47 was used during the student protest and sought details about the chain of command involved in the deployment and use of the weapon.
Tejashwi seeks accountability over Siwan firing
Tejashwi raised a series of questions about the police action, including who authorised the firing, which police unit and armoury issued the weapon, and who permitted its use during crowd control.
He also questioned the role of senior police officials and the state Home Department and sought details of ammunition used during the incident.
The RJD leader demanded a judicial inquiry and argued that accountability should extend beyond the individual police personnel involved.
The controversy over the Siwan incident has continued to generate competing claims. While videos of a police personnel firing an AK-47 during the student protest triggered widespread criticism, the Bihar government has told the Supreme Court that the weapon was fired into the air after the constable was surrounded by protesters. The government has also said that the three injured protesters were not hit by AK-47 bullets.
The administrative response has also developed since the incident, with the Bihar government transferring 17 IPS officers, including the Siwan and Bhojpur Superintendents of Police.
Paper leaks, jobs and education on RJD’s agenda
Tejashwi broadened his criticism beyond the Siwan incident, linking the proposed march to concerns over examination paper leaks, recruitment, unemployment, migration and the education system in Bihar.
He alleged that repeated examination-related controversies had undermined the confidence of students and job aspirants. He also criticised the state government’s handling of corruption-related issues and cited several cases and allegations in support of his broader political attack.
The RJD leader further accused the Centre and the Bihar government of trying to politicise the student issue and divert attention from the grievances raised by young people.
Attack on Centre over Parliament statement
Tejashwi also criticised Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju over statements concerning the Siwan firing.
He alleged that Rijiju had misled Parliament by saying that there had been no firing, while claiming that the Bihar government had subsequently acknowledged the firing in its submission before the Supreme Court.
The allegations form part of the wider political dispute over how the Siwan incident should be interpreted and who should be held accountable.
Tejashwi meets protesting TRE-4 candidates
After the press conference, Tejashwi visited the Gardanibagh protest site in Patna, where candidates associated with the TRE-4 recruitment agitation were demonstrating.
He met the protesting candidates and leaders and called on the Bihar government to address their demands.
The RJD has been positioning the August 19 march as a broader mobilisation around student grievances, examination transparency, recruitment, unemployment and police accountability.
The march is expected to bring these issues together, with the Siwan firing controversy emerging as one of the main points of confrontation between the opposition and the Bihar government.
