PATNA — In a major late-night operation, Bihar Police launched a widespread crackdown against Left-wing political figures and student union representatives, arresting CPI(ML) MLA Sandeep Saurabh alongside several senior party functionaries and student leaders across Patna.

The arrests come just hours before a statewide shut-down—the Bihar Bandh—called for Saturday by student and youth organizations affiliated with Left parties. The bandh was organized to protest systemic paper leaks, including the NEET-UG examination controversy, and to demand the immediate resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.

Key Figures Taken Into Custody

The late-night sweeps targeted several prominent faces of the activist coalition:

  • Sandeep Saurabh: CPI(ML) MLA representing the Paliganj constituency.

  • Kumar Parvez: CPI(ML) Central Committee member.

  • Dhananjay: Former Jawaharlal Nehru University Students' Union (JNUSU) President.

  • Dipankar Mishra: All India Students' Association (AISA) Bihar Unit Secretary.

  • Saba Afreen: Patna University AISA Secretary.

Additional arrests included student organizers Naushad and Divyam, among others picked up from various localities in the state capital.

According to police sources, the sweep was executed in direct connection to the violent clashes that erupted in Patna on Wednesday, July 22, during a march organized by AISA toward Raj Bhavan (Lok Bhavan).

Escalating Clashes and Police Action

The agitation in Patna began earlier in the week as a solidarity movement backing student demonstrations at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar. However, Wednesday's rally escalated into open confrontation along key arterial roads in the city.

Protesters attempted to breach security cordons near the Chief Minister’s residence and Raj Bhavan, leading to physical clashes with security forces. Police responded with a lathi-charge to disperse the crowds, while officials alleged that demonstrators vandalized public property and targeted police personnel, journalists, and local lawmakers.

CPI(ML) Hits Back: "Fabricated Cases Will Not Silence Us"

The leadership of CPI(ML) strongly condemned the police action, accusing the Nitish Kumar-led NDA state administration and the central government of attempting to crush democratic dissent through intimidation and state machinery.

"Fabricated cases have been foisted on our leaders and students in a desperate attempt to stifle the growing national outrage over exam scams," the CPI(ML) Central Committee said in an official communique. "After unleashing police violence in Delhi and Patna, the regime has resorted to mass arrests. But the government must read the writing on the wall—no amount of repression will silence the youth."

Echoing these views, CPI(ML) Bihar State Secretary Kunal demanded the immediate and unconditional release of all detained leaders and students, along with the full withdrawal of charges. He maintained that the public would respond to the crackdown by ensuring the complete success of Saturday’s statewide strike.

State on High Alert

In anticipation of potential blockades, transport disruptions, and rallies linked to the Bihar Bandh, state authorities have deployed heavy contingents of police and paramilitary personnel across Patna and major district headquarters to maintain law and order.