Guwahati: Today, Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju defended the Bihar and Delhi governments, as well as the police and administration, over their handling of recent student protests linked to alleged examination irregularities and paper leaks.
Rijiju praised the security forces for managing large crowds without any reported deaths or serious injuries. Rejecting allegations of excessive police action, he said that thousands of students had participated in the demonstrations and claimed that no protester had suffered a serious injury or required hospitalisation.
He also alleged that political activists from parties including the Aam Aadmi Party, Samajwadi Party and Bhim Army had joined the protests and attempted to provoke violence. According to Rijiju, the Delhi Police used minimal force and acted only when demonstrators allegedly attempted to breach barricades while marching towards Parliament.
The minister also criticised previous Congress-led governments, alleging that they had used excessive or lethal force to deal with public protests. He referred to incidents linked to the Telangana statehood movement and the Emergency period.
Rijiju’s remarks came amid continuing debate over the police response to student demonstrations and allegations of excessive force during the protests.