Patna – July 27, 2026
The political temperature in Bihar has risen sharply after the expiration of Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Tejashwi Yadav’s 24-hour ultimatum to the NDA government, with no official announcement indicating that the state has withdrawn FIRs against student protesters or released those arrested during the Bihar Bandh demonstrations over the alleged NEET paper leak.
On Sunday, Tejashwi Yadav demanded that the Bihar government immediately drop criminal cases against students, activists, and opposition leaders, arguing that they had participated in a democratic movement demanding accountability in India’s examination system. He warned that if the cases were not withdrawn and detainees released by Monday, the RJD would launch a much larger statewide agitation.
As Monday morning unfolded, there was no indication that the government had complied with those demands.
Among those still in custody is Tejashwi’s elder brother, Tej Pratap Yadav, who remains in 14-day judicial custody following his arrest in connection with the Patna protests. His legal team is expected to seek bail today. Meanwhile, multiple FIRs registered across Bihar reportedly continue to remain in force, with hundreds of named accused and thousands of unidentified persons included in various cases.
Escalating his attack, Tejashwi accused the Bihar government of suppressing student voices through police action. In a post on X on Monday morning, he alleged that police had used excessive force against protesters in Siwan and declared that continuing to jail students even after a broader political understanding elsewhere would come at a heavy political cost for the ruling NDA. No government response announcing the withdrawal of FIRs or a mass release of detainees has followed his statement.
The controversy has acquired greater political significance because, only days earlier, the Centre announced after discussions with the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) that cases against protesters would be withdrawn and no further action would be taken against participants in the nationwide education movement. Tejashwi has repeatedly questioned why Bihar’s students should be treated differently if similar assurances have been extended elsewhere.
With the deadline now passed, attention turns to whether the Bihar government will soften its stance or whether the Opposition will follow through on its threat of a larger mass mobilisation.
For thousands of students who took to the streets demanding fairness in examinations, the issue is no longer only about the alleged paper leak. It has become a test of whether protest in a democracy is met with dialogue or with criminal prosecution.
As Bihar waits for the government’s next move, the state’s campuses and political corridors remain tense, with the possibility of another round of demonstrations looming over an already volatile political landscape.
