Tejashwi Yadav Detained in Patna During RJD March Over Exam Paper Leaks and Siwan AK-47 Controversy

 

PATNA — Bihar Leader of Opposition and Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Tejashwi Yadav was briefly detained by law enforcement in Patna on Wednesday, August 19, 2026, after leading a high-profile protest march against examination paper leaks, rising youth unemployment, and the controversial police firing of an AK-47 rifle during a student demonstration in Siwan. Details of the rally and security response were covered across major news outlets, including The Indian Express and NDTV.

Accompanied by RJD party workers and MP Misa Bharti, Yadav spearheaded the procession starting from JP Golambar near Gandhi Maidan towards Lok Bhavan to highlight student grievances regarding recurring paper leaks and the July 25 Siwan incident. As reported by The Hindu, police intercepted the march near the Income Tax roundabout after demonstrators attempted to breach barricades. Security forces deployed water cannons to disperse the crowd, and several demonstrators climbed onto the police transport carrying Yadav before senior leaders were taken into custody. Yadav was subsequently released from the Secretariat police station.

Following his release, Yadav pledged that the RJD would sustain its agitation until Chief Minister Samrat Chaudhary takes accountability and student demands are resolved. According to statements carried by The Times of India, Yadav remarked, “Until the chief minister takes responsibility, we will not give a statement on the entire incident and until action is taken against the culprits… as long as justice will not be done to the students, unemployment will not end, we will continue to fight”. He further accused the administration of fearing the youth and compromising students' futures through repeated examination irregularities.

Later in the day, Yadav posted on X (formerly Twitter) with video clips from the demonstration: “हिसाब होगा, इंसाफ़ होगा। न्याय का रास्ता साफ़ होगा! भाजपाई बंदूकें बिहारी हौसलों को कभी नहीं तोड़ सकती!” (“There will be accountability, there will be justice. The path of justice will be clear! BJP guns can never break Bihari spirits!”). The statement referenced police action during the July demonstrations linked to the NEET paper-leak controversy. The Siwan flashpoint stems from a July 25 incident in which a police officer was recorded discharging an AK-47 during a student protest. While the officer involved has been suspended, state authorities maintain the constable fired into the air in self-defense after being surrounded, adding that no protesters were injured by the gunshots.

Patna Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Kartikeya K Sharma confirmed Yadav’s detention during the event. Reporting by ThePrint noted that while the RJD described the demonstration as a peaceful effort to address youth concerns, law enforcement intervened to maintain order near key administrative government locations. The confrontation highlights mounting political tension in Bihar surrounding educational governance and police conduct during public demonstrations.