12 aspiring teachers injured as police lathicharge them during stir in Patna

The clips and images showed the protester, Darbhanga resident Anisur Rahman (25), lying on the ground holding a Tricolour while being beaten with a lathi by Singh. It also showed a policeman snatching the Tricolour even as Rahman was hit on the jaw. Officials said Rahman was admitted to Patna Medical College and Hospital, and given first aid before being discharged.

DM Chandra Shekhar said in a statement: “After having watched the video of the incident gone viral, the beating of a protester lying on the ground by police and ADM (law and order), it looks objectionable. It needs to be probed with all seriousness.” He asked the Deputy Divisional Commissioner and SP (Town Central) to submit a probe report within two days.

Speaking to The Indian Express, Bihar TET Teachers Association president Amit Vikram said, “There was no provocation from the aspirants for the police to resort to a lathi-charge. The way the ADM (law and order) beat Anisur Rahman is highly condemnable .”

The aspirants, who have been sitting on a dharna at Gardanibagh for a month on rotation, had decided to continue their agitation even after the new government took charge on August 10. They decided to hold the protest march on Monday after failing to receive a concrete assurance from Tejashwi and the Education Minister.

The protesters’ key demands are: advertising for the seventh phase of appointments in August; online centralised application; time-limit for the process; vacant positions in sixth phase to be added; openings for male applicants from the same category against vacant positions of women; and, age relaxation for applicants to primary teacher posts.