AK-47 Fired During Bihar Student Protest as India's Home Ministry Faces Growing Accountability Calls

Indian authorities have suspended a police officer after he fired an assault rifle into the air while attempting to disperse student protesters in Bihar, marking the latest escalation in a wave of youth demonstrations that led to the resignation of the federal education minister.

Videos shared on social media and verified by police showed a policeman wearing riot gear running toward a group of protesters in the eastern city of Siwan on Saturday, pointing an AK-47 rifle at them and firing at least three rounds into the air.

Senior Bihar police official Nilesh Kumar said no protesters were injured in the incident but acknowledged that the weapon was used improperly.

“The AK-47 was used by the constable wrongly. It cannot be justified in any way,” Kumar, deputy inspector general of police, told Reuters on Monday. He said the officer had been suspended and further action would be taken.

The policeman belonged to an intelligence unit that typically handles operations involving “dreaded, hard-core criminals,” Kumar said, adding that there was no justification for using such a weapon against student protesters.

The incident follows weeks of nationwide youth demonstrations triggered by allegations of leaked question papers for a national medical entrance examination in May. The exam, taken by more than two million students, was ordered to be retaken after widespread complaints over irregularities.

The protests have also highlighted broader concerns among young Indians, including unemployment and fears that artificial intelligence could threaten jobs in sectors such as information technology support services.

Indian Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan resigned on Saturday after weeks of protests over the exam leak controversy.

Opposition parties have accused authorities of using excessive force against protesters, including allegations of students being beaten with batons and tear gas being used to stop thousands of demonstrators marching toward parliament in New Delhi on July 20.

Congress party president Mallikarjun Kharge criticized the government’s handling of the protests, saying the use of force against students represented a serious threat to democratic freedoms.

“In Bihar, reports indicate use of AK-47 against students. Those responsible cannot escape accountability,” Kharge said in parliament.

Government ministers did not immediately respond to the accusations before both houses of parliament were adjourned following heated exchanges over the issue.

Criticism of the police response has also come from legal figures. Supreme Court Judge Ujjal Bhuyan said in a speech on Saturday that the space for expressing dissent in India appeared to be shrinking.

“The right to express one’s views and to demonstrate peacefully are fundamental freedoms of citizens,” Bhuyan said.