Tejashwi Yadav meets an injured protester in Patna on Sunday (July 26, 2026).
| Photo Credit: Tejashwi’s X handle
Lashing out at the Bihar police for the arrest of hundreds during the Bihar Bandh, the State’s Leader of Opposition Tejashwi Yadav on Sunday (July 26, 2026) demanded the immediate release of students, Opposition MLAs, and other protesters, including his elder brother Tej Pratap Yadav. If they are not released within 24 hours, he warned the State government that they would hit the streets once again in protest.
The Bihar Bandh was called by the All India Students’ Association on Saturday (July 25, 2026). It turned violent in places and resulted in clashes with the police, who opened fire in Siwan and put hundreds in jail. Among those arrested was Mr. Tej Pratap Yadav, who is no longer a member of the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and has formed his own political outfit. He was arrested by the Patna police on charges of obstructing government officials from discharging their duties and sent to judicial custody for 14 days in Beur Jail.
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“The Centre decided yesterday to withdraw all the cases against the protesting students and youths [in Delhi]. The [Bihar] government should follow it,” Mr. Tejashwi Yadav told journalists at Patna airport, where he was accompanied by his mother and former Chief Minister Rabri Devi. “I am giving 24 hours to Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary to release everyone, including my brother, or else be ready to face the massive agitation when students and youths will once again hit the road to protest,” he added.
‘Machinery of power’
The RJD leader also asked the government to take action against the policemen who opened fire on students at Siwan on July 25, as well as in Jehanabad on July 23.
Blaming Mr. Choudhary for the police action, Mr. Tejashwi Yadav said, “A person with criminal mentality has been made the Chief Minister in Bihar, who was never voted for and never will be. He cannot silence the voice of Biharis through the use of lathis and the machinery of power.”
The RJD leader later visited the hospitals where injured protesters were being treated. “In a democracy, peaceful protest is an essential right that allows citizens to express their dissent and ideas, holding unchecked power accountable,” he said in a post on X after meeting the protesters.
‘Minors also arrested’
Disha Students’ Organisation member Soma Roy told The Hindu that many students have been arrested by the Patna police, including some minors.
“As many as 11 FIRs have been lodged against protesting students in different police stations in the State since July 22. Some of them are even minors, and their parents contacted me to ask about their well-being. The State police must release them immediately as they have been wrongfully detained,“ Ms. Roy said.
Others who were arrested include Sandeep Saurav, the Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist) Liberation MLA for Paliganj; leaders of the AISA State unit, including president Dhananjay, secretary Deepak Mishra, and vice president Saba Afrin; and student leader Kumar Divyam.
Day of protest
At a press conference in Patna, Revolutionary Youth Association (RYA) national president Ajit Kumar Singh, RYA State secretary Shivprakash Ranjan, former Jawaharlal Nehru University Students’ Union president Nitish Kumar, and other youth leaders launched a scathing attack on the State government. They strongly condemned the police action during the Bihar Bandh and demanded the release of the arrested MLA and youth leaders.
They announced that a Virodh Diwas, or day of protest, will be observed across Bihar on July 30, protesting against the police action and the illegal arrest of student leaders, including the MLA Mr. Saurav. A massive road blockade is also being planned in Mr. Saurav’s Paliganj Assembly constituency to demonstrate strength against the government.
Published – July 26, 2026 09:59 pm IST
