The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Thursday rebuked state authorities in Bihar for beating job applicants for the Bihar Staff Selection Commission (BSSC) as they protested against the Janata Dal-United and Rastriya Janata Dal-led coalition government.
Bihar Police wielding batons charged the crowd on Wednesday after some of the protesters allegedly resorted to "violence and vandalism".
The students were protesting due to the cancellation of the BSSC third graduate level joint preliminary test, after reports that it had ben leaked on social media. They have demanded that all phases of the examination be cancelled citing a possible risk to their future.
BJP national spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla said in a tweet that "Mahathagbandhan [the coalition] promised to create a million jobs but now [it's] providing them with batons".
BJP's reaction came after Janata Dal (United) politician Lallan Singh responded to a reporter's question about using batons on the protesters: "Has it happen for the first time? It has happened in the past as well".
The BJP spokesperson also targeted Bihar State Chief Nitish Kumar over his statement about people dying after consuming alcohol.
Answering a reporter's question regarding people's death in Saran district, caused by alchohol consumption, Kumar had stated that "those who drink liquor will obviously die".
BJP, which is the main opposition party in Bihar state, has also demanded a probe by Central Bureau of Investigation on the matter.