Patna: Bihar government on July 26 held a high-level meeting to review the law-and-order situation amid protests over the alleged NEET paper leak across several districts, including Patna. The meeting, chaired by Chief Secretary Pratyaya Amrit through video conferencing, focused on ensuring coordinated action by the administration and police while adopting a sensitive approach towards students.
The meeting was attended by Director General of Police (Operations) Kundan Krishnan, Director General of Police Vinay Kumar, District Magistrates, Deputy Inspectors General of Police and Superintendents of Police from all districts.
Officials Asked to Prioritise Dialogue With Students
Addressing the meeting, DGP (Operations) Kundan Krishnan instructed officials to engage directly with students and student leaders instead of adopting an aggressive approach. He said officials should listen to students’ concerns with empathy and attempt to resolve issues through dialogue.
He also directed police officers to visit Ambedkar Hostels and Ambedkar student forums to interact with students and address confusion and grievances related to the protests.
Krishnan said the use of force should remain a last resort, with priority given to peaceful engagement and maintaining public order.
Security Measures to Be Strengthened
Officials were instructed to identify sensitive locations, particularly railway stations, bus stands and other crowded public places that could witness protests.
The meeting also emphasised the use of CCTV cameras, videographers and other technological resources to monitor developments and collect evidence where required.
Police were directed to monitor misleading or provocative social media content and identify individuals involved in violent or disruptive activities.
DGP Calls for Adequate Resources and Surveillance
DGP Vinay Kumar directed all districts to ensure sufficient deployment of police personnel and the availability of riot-control equipment.
He also instructed officials to obtain written details of online and offline attendance records from coaching institutes to examine their possible role in the ongoing developments.
According to the DGP, Police Headquarters is monitoring social media by circulating photographs of 117 individuals identified as potential disruptors of public peace.
He further directed district authorities to maintain continuous communication between field police personnel and district headquarters and ensure adequate CCTV and video coverage at sensitive locations.
Chief Secretary Stresses Coordination and Protection of Students
Chief Secretary Pratyaya Amrit instructed District Magistrates and Superintendents of Police to maintain close coordination between the civil administration and police while remaining vigilant in their respective districts.
He said law-and-order measures should not result in harassment of innocent students and directed officials to handle the situation with maturity and restraint.
The Chief Secretary also instructed authorities to immediately counter rumours and misleading information through official communication channels.
He said the state government was closely monitoring the situation round the clock and would not allow anti-social elements to disturb public order.
