Alleged Assault Of 2 Bihar Youths In Siliguri Stokes Political Faceoff Between BJP, TMC

A viral video of two youths from Bihar , who went to participate in an SSC recruitment exam in Siliguri, being assaulted by a group of men claiming to be from the West Bengal police has sparked a political faceoff between the Mamata Banerjee government and the BJP . As the alleged incident surfaced, two Union Ministers from Bihar, Chirag Paswan and Giriraj Singh lashed out at the TMC -led government of West Bengal questioning her, whether it is an offence to appear for an examination in the state.

The video capturing the alleged assault on the Bihar students is being widely shared on social media. However, the authenticity of the video has not been confirmed officially. Reportedly, the video is from West Bengal’s Siliguri, in which two youths were captured being assaulted by a group of people.

As per claims in the viral video, the two youths had gone to take part in the physical exam for a Staff Selection Commission ( SSC ) recruitment in Siliguri, where they were caught by a group of people. The two victims were allegedly made to apologise, and do sit-ups, while one of them was thrown against a wall by the attackers. The people, who assaulted the victims, claimed that they had forged their domicile certificates, which prove that a person has been a resident of a state for a certain period of time.

One Accused Detained, Claims Police

Meanwhile, the West Bengal police officials have stated that based on the viral video, one of the persons in the video was identified and was detained. Further legal action in the incident is being taken.

Union Minister Chirag Paswan shared the video on his X profile, questioning whether it was a crime to appear for an exam in West Bengal. Paswan also launched an attack on the Mamata Banerjee -led Trinamool Congress ( TMC ) ally the RJD and the Congress, asking how they could continue to support the party after such incidents.

"The news of the brutal assault on Bihari students in West Bengal is very unfortunate and condemnable. The chief minister of that state has once again insulted Biharis, which cannot be tolerated at all. I want to ask Mamata Banerjee ji, is it a crime to take an exam in West Bengal? Will the opposition party leaders still remain silent?" Mr Paswan posted in Hindi on X.

"I want to ask the Leader of Opposition of Bihar , on what basis will you support the Trinamool Congress now? I request the Honorable Chief Minister Shri Nitish Kumar ji to get the matter thoroughly investigated and take legal action against the culprits," he added.

On the other hand, Union Minister Giriraj Singh also posted the video alleging that while a red carpet is rolled out for the Rohingya Muslims in West Bengal, men from Bihar are beaten up for appearing for an exam. He also alluded to the rape and murder of a trainee doctor in Kolkata as well as the criticism that Mamata Banerjee 's government has received because of its handling of the case and asked whether it has decided to protect only rapists.

"Red carpet for Rohingya Muslims in Bengal and children from Bihar beaten up for taking exams? Are these children not part of India? Has the Mamata government resolved to save only rapists?" he wrote in Hindi on X, tagging BJP leader and Leader of the Opposition in the West Bengal Assembly, Suvendu Adhikari.

What Is There In The Video?

In the viral video, it can be seen that a group of people suddenly barged into the room of the two youths from Bihar , who were sleeping. While speaking in Bengali, the group of people asked the youths, where were they from, whether they understood Bengali and what was the purpose of their visit. One of the youths, identified as Ankit Yadav, said that they had come to appear for a physical exam, to which the accused men asked them, how they could appear for an exam in West Bengal, when they were not from the state.

The men from the group, who claimed that they were from the police, said that only those with a domicile in Bengal can apply for a centre in the state. As the confrontation escalated and people in the group began to threaten them, Ankit Yadav even asked them to take him to the police station. However, he was forced to the ground and made to do sit-ups with a warning against appearing for examinations in Bengal again. Yadav was also pushed against the wall as he refused to give his documents fearing they would be torn.

The video has sparked a massive political row in the state.