Tejashwi Yadav Orders Probe After Patna Police Beats Job Aspirant Holding Flag

Bihar Deputy CM Tejashwi Yadav said that he spoke to the Patna DM, who has constituted an enquiry into the matter.

A peaceful protester in Bihar’s Patna was brutally beaten by the city's additional district magistrate (law and order) on Monday, 22 August, while he lay injured on the ground, clutching the national flag.

(Photo: PTI) 

Video Inputs: Mahip Raj, Tanveer Alam

Video Producer: Naman Shah

Video Editor: Harpal Rawat

After a protester in Bihar’s Patna was brutally beaten by the city's additional district magistrate (law and order), Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav said that he spoke to the Patna district magistrate over the phone, who has constituted an enquiry into the incident.

Yadav further tweeted that a committee under the supervision of Patna central SP and DDC has been formed.

"If found guilty, action will be taken against the concerned officer," he said.

The video, which gained traction on social media, shows the student, clutching the national flag, pleading and crying while being mercilessly beaten by Patna’s Additional DM KK Singh during a protest by hundreds of aspiring teachers over a delay in their recruitment.

The youth continues to be beaten as he tries to cover his face with the tricolour. He also holds the flag up while the ADM continues to thrash him, surrounded by police personnel in riot gear and media personnel as well.

One official is seen snatching the national flag from his possession as Singh continues to thrash him.

Subsequently, the man was seen crying on the road with visible injures after he was dragged and beaten up.

‘Came for Job, Now Lying in Hospital’: Bihar Teacher Candidate’s Association

The Bihar Teacher Candidate’s Association further informed, “The teacher candidate, who reached Patna from his village in the hope of getting a job, is lying in Besud Hospital injured by the barbaric sticks of the police."

‘Is This Government Blind?’: BJP Slams Nitish Kumar

The Bihar BJP, sharing the video on Twitter, slammed the Nitish Kumar-led state government and said that the state has handed over the pen to a person who is used to firing guns.

"Is this government blind, that they hit the tricolour with lathis, is this government deaf?" the party said on its state Twitter handle.

BJP national spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla said:

“Look at the ADM's hooliganism, lathi-charge on those seeking jobs in teacher posts. ADM did not even care about the tricolour and brutally beat up the young man! RJD had promised employment but is giving them lathi.”

Police Lathicharge, Use Water Cannons Against Aspirants in Patna

The Patna Police on Monday lathicharged and deployed water cannons on the Bihar Teacher Eligibility Test (BTET) and Central Teacher Eligibility Test (CTET) candidates who were protesting against the delay in issuing the official notification regarding their appointments.

Several protesters were injured and detained during the protests, while the crucial Dak Bungalow intersection in the city was congested for four hours.

The teachers' job aspirants, who have been protesting against their unemployment for the last three years, flooded the streets in Patna on Monday, demanding that the authorities complete the due process regarding the seventh phase of employment.

Although the demonstrators said that they were ruthlessly beaten up despite peacefully protesting, Patna District Magistrate Chandrashekhar Singh claimed that only "mild use of force was resorted to."