Police used water cannons and lathi charges to break up a protest in Patna on Sunday. The protesters were demanding the cancellation of the Bihar Public Service Commission (BPSC) exam held on December 13. Initially, the protest took place at Gandhi Maidan, where Prashant Kishore, founder of Jan Suraaj, joined the demonstrators. Later, they attempted to march to the chief minister’s residence, prompting police action.
FIR Filed Against Protest Leaders
District Magistrate Chandrashekhar Singh explained that the protesters tried to cross barricades while marching towards JP Golumber. Despite warnings about the unauthorized demonstration, they pressed on. As a result, an FIR was filed against 21 individuals, including Kishore, party president Manoj Bharti, tutor Ramanshu Mishra, and 600-700 unidentified protesters, for organizing the protest without permission.
Kishore Criticizes Chief Minister
Kishore, who had joined the protest earlier, expressed his discontent with Chief Minister Nitish Kumar. He stated, “The chief minister does not have time to listen to the grievances of the protesting aspirants and has gone to Delhi. The protest will continue until their demand for the cancellation of the exam is not accepted. I am always with the protesting students.”
Protesters Detained for Blocking Traffic
As the protest escalated, some demonstrators were detained at JP Golumber for blocking traffic. Singh mentioned, “Water cannons and mild force were used to disperse protesters as some of them blocked traffic by lying on the roads near JP Golumber.”
Government Offers Meeting, Protesters Struggle to Select Delegation
In response to the unrest, Singh noted that the government was sensitive to the concerns of the youth. The chief secretary had agreed to meet a five-member delegation of BPSC aspirants. However, the protesters struggled to select representatives, which hindered the meeting from proceeding.
Tutors Arrested for Instigating Protest
Meanwhile, police arrested two Patna-based tutors, Ramanshu Mishra and Rohan Anand, for allegedly instigating the protest. Both tutors have been granted conditional bail and are currently undergoing medical treatment.
Protesters Demand Cancellation of BPSC Exam
Ultimately, the protesters are seeking the cancellation of the 70th Integrated Combined Competitive Examination (CCE) due to allegations of a question paper leak. They argue that re-examining only one center would be unfair to all students.