NEW DELHI: A police case was filed against poll-strategist turned politician Prashant Kishore on Sunday after he joined the student protestors demanding the cancellation of Bihar Public Service Commission (BPSC) exams. The Bihar Public Service Commission (BPSC) aspirants have been demanding a re-test for the 70th Combined Competitive Preliminary Examination (CCE Prelims). Kishore joined the aspirants at Patna’s Gandhi Maidan.
The Patna district magistrate (DM) said Kishore was booked for “organising a gathering of students” in defiance of the official order.
“The protesters gathered at Gandhi Maidan despite the administration’s warning that any demonstration there would be considered unauthorised. The district police has registered an FIR against 21 known persons, including Prashant Kishore, his party president Manoj Bharti, city-based tutor Ramanshu Mishra and 600-700 unknown persons for organising a gathering of students at Gandhi Maidan even after the denial of permission by the authorities”, the DM Chandrashekar Singh told news agency PTI.
What Prashant Kishore said?
Prashant Kishor, the Jan Suraaj party founder, joined the demonstrators, walking alongside them during their march.
Speaking to the media persons, Kishore said, “We are not going for a protest. Students are sitting there, we are going to meet them. Gandhi Maidan is a public place, people go there every day. If the students do not have any place, they will go to a public place. I don’t know why the government has made it a question of its prestige, somewhere they are harming themselves.”
He further added: “Bihar is the mother of democracy and if the students here do not have the right to speak their minds, then this is becoming a ‘lathi-tantra’… that’s why we are with the students.”
Kishor, also addressing the crowd, announced that a five-member student delegation would meet with the chief secretary to discuss their demands.
“Officials confirmed their willingness to engage in discussions. If no substantial decisions are made, students will resume protests on Monday,” he said, urging the demonstrators to pause their agitation temporarily.
Despite Kishor’s appeal, the protesters continued marching towards the chief minister’s residence, resulting in scuffles with police and subsequent baton charges. The aspirants insisted that their only demand was a re-exam, refusing to be drawn into political debates.
What cops said?
SP City Sweety Sahrawat said that the police have asked the protesting students to vacate the place as their representative is not there. She also claimed that they just used the water cannon but not the lathi charge however the video of police beating people.
“We requested the students protesting to vacate the place but they didn’t listen to us…We also said that they can put forward their demands, we are ready to listen to them…They also pushed us after which we used water cannon on them…” she said.
Why situation escalated
Chaos broke out near Gandhi Maidan Sunday evening as police resorted to lathi-charge and water cannons to disperse the BPSC) aspirants.
Clashes erupted near JP Golambar under the Gandhi Maidan police station area when protesters broke through barricades and marched toward the chief minister’s residence, shouting anti-government slogans. Several candidates were injured in the lathi-charge
Sehrawat also said that an FIR would be lodged against some protesters for disrupting law and order.
“Around 11-12 aggressive protesters were detained by the police,” she added.
DM Chandrasekhar Singh has also declared Gandhi Maidan a restricted area, prohibiting student gatherings there. Following the dispersal of the crowd, police conducted area domination to maintain control.
Tejashwi calls lathi charge ‘very painful’
RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav condemned the lathi charge on protesting aspirants, saying the protest was against the normalisation.
“It is very painful how BPSC aspirants were beaten up by the police. Many people are badly injured in this… We condemn this. The visuals that have surfaced are painful. I am a youth, and I can understand their situation. Firstly, people were protesting against normalisation,” the former Bihar deputy chief minister said in a video statement.
The leader further said: “On 15-16 December, BPSC announced the cancellation of the exam at one centre. If the paper had been leaked, then why is the exam being cancelled only at one centre? It is a kind of normalisation… That’s why students are protesting for a re-examination. I also support this,” the RJD leader said.
Source: ANI
