BPSC protest: Patna Police detains Prashant Kishor, vacates Gandhi Maidan

Prashant Kishor detained by Patna Police during hunger strike over BPSC exam paper leak controversy.

Jan Suraaj chief Prashant Kishor was detained by the Patna Police in the early hours of Monday (January 6, 2024).

He was sitting on an indefinite hunger strike seeking action against the alleged BPSC exam paper leak.

Additionally, Patna Police has vacated the place at Gandhi Maidan where Mr. Kishor was sitting on a fast-unto-death with the protestors. Patna Police also conducted the checking of the vehicles leaving from the Gandhi Maidan. Mr. Kishor was observing a fast-unto-death over BPSC irregularities, launched on January 2 in support of the protesting students, who are demanding a cancellation of the Bihar Public Service Commission exam.

He was taken into an ambulance by the police. Before being detained, 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 Mr. Kishor.

Earlier on Sunday, Mr. 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). Mr. Kishor was responding to remarks made by the former Bihar Deputy Chief Minister. He stated that Mr. 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 founder told reporters. "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," Mr. Kishor said.

On Saturday (January 4, 2024), Tejashwi Yadav accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of politicising the issue of BPSC protest. Speaking to ANI, he accused the independent movement of students of being politicised and said that these people joining the protest were the B team of the BJP.