Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader and Leader of the Opposition in Bihar, Tejashwi Yadav, was granted bail on Thursday, 14 May in a six-year-old case stemming from protests organised during the COVID-19 pandemic. He appeared before the MP/MLA Court in Patna and surrendered before the court of Judge Praveen Kumar Malviya, following which his bail application was accepted.

What the Case Is About

The case pertains to demonstrations and sit-ins that Tejashwi Yadav led during the COVID-19 lockdown period to highlight public grievances, particularly the plight of migrant workers. An FIR was registered against him under provisions related to alleged violations of pandemic guidelines.

According to Yadav, the case was filed by the administration in what he described as a coercive response to legitimate political opposition. The case is among several registered across the country during that period, when protests over lockdown measures and the migrant worker crisis drew police action in multiple states.

What Tejashwi Yadav Said

Speaking to reporters outside the court after securing bail, Yadav said: 'During the COVID period, a case was forcibly registered against me by the administration. As a public representative, I organised protests to raise issues affecting the public.'

He recalled the acute hardships faced by migrant workers during the pandemic — thousands of whom were forced to walk hundreds of kilometres to their home villages due to the sudden suspension of transport services. He alleged that the government failed to make adequate arrangements for them at the time, and that the Opposition had a responsibility to amplify those voices.

Targeting the administration, the RJD leader argued that filing cases against elected representatives for raising public concerns runs contrary to democratic principles, and asserted that the Opposition would continue to advocate for citizens' rights.

Tejashwi's Broadside at the Centre

After his bail hearing, Yadav also responded sharply to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's recent appeal to citizens to conserve energy, reduce petroleum consumption, and shift to public transport. Yadav characterised the appeal as an admission of policy failure.

He drew a parallel with the demonetisation episode, saying: 'The Prime Minister's appeal to the nation is actually a sign of policy failure. A similar appeal was made during demonetization — what came of it? The decisions taken by the Prime Minister in the past have not been in the interest of the common people.'

Broader Context

The COVID-19 pandemic triggered a wave of FIRs against opposition politicians across India, many of whom organised protests or relief drives in defiance of lockdown restrictions. Critics argue that several such cases were politically motivated, while authorities maintained that guideline violations warranted legal action regardless of the accused's political standing.

This bail order closes one legal chapter for Yadav, but the case itself — and the broader question of how pandemic-era dissent was handled by administrations — is likely to remain a talking point ahead of Bihar's political calendar.