Patna: A six-year-old boy became the centre of attention at a student protest in Patna after police took him away while he was participating in the demonstration demanding the cancellation of the 70th Bihar Public Service Commission (BPSC) examination.
Videos of the young boy speaking confidently against the state government quickly went viral on social media. His removal by police also sparked speculation that he had been detained for protesting.
Police take boy away from protest
The boy was seen among protesters wearing a T-shirt and jeans, with a tilak on his forehead. He spoke to journalists and openly backed the demands of the job aspirants.
“Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary should resign,” he told reporters, also demanding action against those who ordered the lathi-charge on protesters.
Soon afterwards, police personnel took the six-year-old away from the protest site. The visuals prompted questions online over whether the child had been detained for taking part in the demonstration.
Police officials, however, denied that he had been formally detained.
Police say boy was taken for safety
According to police, the child was taken to a police station because the protest had become tense and he needed to be kept safe. He was later handed over to his mother.
Police reportedly advised his parents to be more careful and told them that children should not be allowed to remain around a protest when there is a possibility of violence.
The boy’s father works as a daily wage labourer, while his mother is a house help.
Boy says he was speaking for the future
Despite his young age, the boy appeared confident while speaking to reporters. He said he was only “exercising his rights as a citizen concerned about the future”.
People who know him said his curiosity about events around him may have encouraged him to join the protest.
Protest turns tense after clashes
The student demonstration turned tense when protesters marching towards the chief minister’s residence breached barricades and allegedly threw stones at security personnel.
Police responded with water cannons and allegedly used lathi-charge. Several protesters were detained, while some protesters and police personnel were injured.
The six-year-old’s presence at the demonstration and his subsequent removal by police have since become one of the most talked-about moments of the protest, raising questions about children being present at tense political demonstrations.