Patna (Bihar) [India], January 6 (ANI): Tensions escalated in Patna as a clash broke out between police and supporters of Jan Suraaj chief Prashant Kishor near the Gandhi Maidan area.
The altercation followed Kishor’s detention earlier on Monday during his indefinite hunger strike, which called for action against the alleged BPSC exam paper leak.
Kishor’s arrest triggered widespread condemnation from his supporters, who accused the government of attempting to silence the protest out of fear of the unity Kishor had fostered among the masses.
“Prashant Kishor was fighting for the people of Bihar, for the students… The government is afraid of this unity,” said one of the supporters of the Jan Suraaj chief.
“Physical violence against him is condemnable…We don’t know where he has been taken. We are asking, but no one is telling us where he is,” he further added.
Another supporter of Kishor underlined that Kishor only engaged in “Satyagraha” and added that the government was afraid of him.
“He did not do anything illegal. He sat in one place and did Satyagraha. The government is scared because of him. No one knows where the police took him. We are protesting against this; at least inform us where he has been taken,” he said.
“The spectacles of Prashant Kishor were thrown when he was being detained. When I went to take it, I was injured, and they abused me. We have no idea where Prashant ji has been taken,” another supporter added.
The clash began when police attempted to remove Kishor from the hunger strike site at Gandhi Maidan, which had become the epicenter of his protest. Patna Police also cleared the area where Kishor was holding his ‘fast-unto-death’ and conducted vehicle checks around Gandhi Maidan.
Kishor had been observing the hunger strike since January 2, supporting students demanding the cancellation of the Bihar Public Service Commission (BPSC) exam following allegations of a question paper leak. Following his detention, police transported him in an ambulance.
Earlier, the Jan Suraaj chief said that the party would file a petition in the High Court on January 7 over BPSC irregularities.
“It is not a matter of decision for us whether we will continue this (protest) or not. We will continue doing what we are doing now; there will be no change in it… We (Jan Suraaj Party) will file a petition in the High Court on the 7th,” said Prashant Kishor.
On Sunday, Prashant Kishor sat down with protesting students at Gandhi Maidan in Patna. He also urged the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Tejashwi Yadav to lead the protest as he is a “tall” leader and also the Leader of Opposition (LoP) in the Bihar Assembly.
Kishor was responding to remarks made by the former Bihar Deputy Chief Minister. He stated that Yadav, being the LoP, should have taken the lead in the protest instead of him.
“He (Tejashwi Yadav) is a tall leader. He is also the LoP. He should have led the protests. I have been telling them to lead the protest. We will step aside. He said that he was coming to Gandhi Maidan with five lakh people. Students (and their issues) should be talked about. Politics can happen whenever. We don’t have any party banner here. We care about the agenda of the students,” the Jan Suraaj chief said.
“This is not a dharna. This is the passion of the people of Bihar: to better their conditions, to secure a better future. In this cold weather, some are singing, and you can see people from across the board sitting here. I am tired of answering accusations. Look around and spot the vanity van if you can. We will sleep here too,” Kishor said.
The protest was called by the BPSC students for the cancellation of the Integrated Combined (Preliminary) Competitive Examination (CCE) 2024, conducted by the BPSC on December 13, due to alleged question paper leaks. (ANI)
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