BPSC protest: Bihar cops crack down on aspirants

Police lathi-charge protesting students in Patna. Pic/PTI

Police lathi-charged and used water cannons to disperse protesters demanding the cancellation of the Bihar Public Service Commission (BPSC) exam held here on December 13.

The protesters, who were joined earlier in the day by Jan Suraaj founder Prashant Kishor at Gandhi Maidan, attempted to march towards the chief minister's residence in the evening, prompting police to take action, Patna district magistrate Chandrashekhar Singh said.

The protesters also tried to jump over barricades while marching from Gandhi Maidan towards JP Golumber, he added. Kishor, who arrived in the afternoon and left after about an hour, criticised Chief Minister Nitish Kumar for "going to Delhi on a private visit but having no time for the youth of his own state."

The candidates, who have been protesting for days, are seeking the cancellation of the 70th Integrated Combined Competitive Examination (CCE) due to allegations of a question paper leak in all centres, arguing that re-examination in just one centre would be unfair.

FIR against 700

Police on Monday registered an FIR against 600-700 individuals, including Prashant Kishor, for unauthorised gathering, instigating people and creating law and order issues in Gandhi Maidan.

"Jan Suraaj Party was denied permission to organise Chhatra Sansad in front of the Gandhi statue. However, a crowd gathered at the Gandhi statue and created a law and order problem. A scuffle broke out between the crowd and police," Patna district administration said in a statement.

"An FIR has been registered in Gandhi Maidan police station against 600-700 people including Jan Suraaj Chief Prashant Kishor on charges of unauthorized gathering of crowd, instigating people and creating law and order problems," it added.

On Sunday, speaking to the media, Kishor said that his party would support students if injustice is done to them. He claimed that "thousands of crores of rupees have changed hands" for posts to be filled up by the Bihar PSC exam, cancellation of which is being demanded by many candidates.

Dec 13
Day BPSC exams were held

BJP hiding paper leak: Congress

Accusing the BJP of spreading a web of paper leak mafia across the country that is ruining the future of the youth, the Congress on Monday alleged that the brutal lathi-charge on BPSC candidates in Patna was carried out to hide paper leak and rigging. Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge condemned the lathi-charge on students protesting against the cancellation of the Bihar Public Service Commission (BPSC) examination, terming it an attempt to break the morale of the students by using force. "When rigging is detected, the BJP shamelessly denies or tries to silence the youth by lathi-charging them," Kharge claimed in a post in Hindi on X. More than 70 papers have been leaked in the past seven years, Kharge alleged, adding that the future of 3.28 lakh youth who took the BPSC exam is hanging in the balance. Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra also alleged that the "double-engine" BJP government in Bihar has become a symbol of "double atrocities" on youth.

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