Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Saturday alleged that Purnia MP Pappu Yadav was arrested for demanding justice in the case of death of a student preparing for NEET exam in a hostel in Patna. In a post on Twitter, Rahul Gandhi said Pappu Yadav’s arrest is an “act of political vendetta” aimed at intimidating voices associated with the case.
He said, “The one who stood as a voice of justice for this daughter was fellow MP Pappu Yadav ji. His arrest today is clearly an act of political vendetta, aimed at intimidating and silencing every voice demanding accountability.”
Pappu Yadav was arrested on Friday as he failed to appear in an alleged 1995 land dispute case. The Purnia MP had expressed apprehension about his safety. He said, “I suspect that these people might have murdered me. I will go straight to the court. I will not go to the police station. If they want, they can put me under house arrest.”
The Congress leader accused the BJP-NDA alliance of “derailing” the case and “harassing the family” to protect the culprits. He said, “The suspicious death of a student preparing for NEET exam in Patna under mysterious circumstances and the entire incident that followed has once again exposed the corruption prevalent in the system. When the victim’s family demanded a fair investigation and justice, the same old strategy of the BJP-NDA was adopted – derail the case, harass the family.” And using the power of the state to protect the culprits.”
Rahul Gandhi expressed concern over the rising crimes against women and criticized the government’s tendency to ignore this horrific reality. He said, “The most worrying thing is that this incident does not seem to be limited to just one case. It points to a sinister conspiracy and a dangerous trend, where more daughters are becoming victims and those in power are turning a blind eye to this horrific reality. This is not politics; this is a question of justice. This is a question of dignity and respect for the daughters of Bihar.” There is a question of security.”
Party leader and Wayanad MP Priyanka Gandhi also expressed “deep shock” over the matter, saying that from the FIR to the investigation and action, everything has become “suspicious”.
Priyanka Gandhi posted on
Condemning the arrest of Pappu Yadav, he said, “From Hathras and Unnao to Ankita Bhandari and Patna—wherever atrocities against women take place, BJP governments support the accused instead of providing justice to the victims. The arrest of MP Pappu Yadav, who raised his voice in this matter, is another link in the chain of this insensitivity.”
“The agenda of the BJP and its allies is clear – they stand with injustice and oppression,” he said. The Bihar government has recommended a CBI probe into the death of the NEET student after the victim’s family raised doubts over the investigation and alleged collusion with the administration behind her death.
According to police, a student appearing for NEET exam in Patna died during treatment. Although sexual assault is suspected, police say doctors have not confirmed sexual or physical penetrative assault in this case. Patna Police on Sunday suspended two officers in connection with the incident.