New Delhi- The Students' Federation of India (SFI) has strongly condemned the Bihar Police for allegedly assaulting and arresting its activists during a protest in Nalanda on June 18. The student organisation demanded the immediate release of its Bihar state president, Com. Kanti Kumari, Nalanda district secretary Com. Savitri Kumari, and around 40 other activists.

According to the SFI Central Executive Committee, the protest was organised after the state government decided to shift the location of a newly sanctioned degree college from Nalanda city headquarters to Lodipur, reportedly under pressure from a local MLA. SFI had been demanding that the college be established in the headquarters to ensure better access to facilities for students from across the district.

The activists, supported by members of the public, staged a road blockade on June 18 to press their demand. The SFI alleged that the administration and police interrupted the peaceful demonstration, leading to a brutal crackdown. Protestors, including senior SFI leaders, were reportedly dragged, assaulted, and taken into custody.

In a press statement, SFI President Adarsh M. Saji and General Secretary Srijan Bhattacharyya stated that the incident reflects the priorities of the ruling dispensation in Bihar, where access to education is being sidelined for political interests. The organisation called upon students and the public to unite against the alleged police action and to demand fair access to higher education.

The SFI has been campaigning for the establishment of the degree college in Nalanda for a long time. The group claims the latest developments undermine students' right to accessible education.

What escalated the tension?

According to local media reports, hundreds of students and residents had gathered in Nagarnausa to press for the establishment of a government degree college in the area. Protesters said students from the region face difficulties pursuing higher education due to the absence of a nearby degree institution.

The demonstration was initially peaceful as participants marched through the town raising slogans in support of their demand.

However, authorities said the situation changed near the main market area when a section of the crowd allegedly began throwing stones at police personnel deployed for security arrangements. Several police personnel were injured who were taken to a nearby hospital for treatment.

Officials said the violence disrupted normal movement in the area and created tension in the market and surrounding localities. The administration had deployed drone cameras to monitor the demonstration amid concerns that the protest could escalate. Despite the surveillance arrangements, the situation briefly went out of control before additional forces arrived. Police had to exert force to disperse the crowd and contain the law and order situation.