Facing severe criticism from the Opposition and a section of civil society for using AK-47s during student protests in Siwan in July, the Bihar Police has framed new rules for the use of assault rifles.
The police have issued an advisory stating that weapons like AK-47s, INSAS rifles, and Self-Loading Rifles (SLRs) will not be used routinely for crowd control during protests.
On Wednesday, Leader of the Opposition Tejashwi Yadav led a protest march in Patna over the incident and was detained. The police have issued an advisory stating that weapons like AK-47s, INSAS rifles, and Self-Loading Rifles (SLRs) will not be used routinely for crowd control during protests. Instead, they will only be deployed in extremely critical situations. The Bihar police headquarters has clarified that heavy weapons should be used as a last resort.
A police constable was seen allegedly firing an AK-47 in a viral video during the protest against question paper leaks in July.
Elaborating on the proportionality of police response, it said the personnel should use other means to control the crowd, and such weapons should only be used when lives are in danger. The state also told the Supreme Court that the police exercised restraint during the protests and did not use disproportionate force against demonstrators.
