After face-off, Bihar faces pro-quota wave

The students forced the authorities to close down emergency and OPD services in Patna, Muzaffarpur, Darbhanga, Gaya and Bhagalpur medical colleges on Saturday. In Darbhanga, pro-quota protesters locked the OPD and emergency rooms and boycotted classes. In Muzaffarpur, protesters for and against the quota clashed.

In Patna Medical College and Hospital, several anti-quota students have left for home fearing reprisal. The pro-quota students, however, denied that there was any tension between the two sides. ‘‘We are not against them. We are demanding our right from the government. If they have left, they must have gone on their own will,’’ said Rajiv Kumar.

Reports of clashes between the two sides in Jawaharlal Nehru University aggravated the tension. Students gathered at the PMCH canteen to plan a national protest. ‘‘We will go all out across the country. It is our right and we will not rest till the government implements the proposal for reservation,’’ declared Dr Navin.

Thereafter, the students sat on a dharna inside the campus. ‘‘In the morning, the emergency ward was opened but in the afternoon, the students locked the main gate. Classes are also suspended,’’ PMCH superintendent Anil Kumar Pandey said.

Angry with the media, police and the state, particularly Chief Minister Nitish Kumar for ordering an inquiry into their protest, one of them said, ‘‘No inquiry is ordered when the anti-quota students protest. We were all medical students and he is trying to paint us as anti-social elements.’’

‘‘We were angry with the media and raising slogans against it since it is biased. But is it right for the media to join hands with the police and beat students running for cover after the lathicharge?” Dr Rajiv said.

–j.p.yadav@expressindia.com