Patna: An FIR has been registered against Prashant Kishore, the leader of Jan Suraj Party, after a protest outside the Bihar Assembly turned chaotic. The protest took place on 23 July during the monsoon session of the Assembly. Kishore and his supporters had gathered to surround the Vidhan Sabha to raise issues like corruption in education, health, employment and land surveys in Bihar.
Police said that Kishore and around 300 unidentified people entered the restricted area near the Assembly without permission. When police tried to stop them near Chitkohra Golambar by putting up barricades, the protesters broke the barricades and moved forward. The police then used lathicharge and water cannons to control the crowd, injuring many protesters. Kishore was also detained but later released.
City SP Central Diksha said that the FIR was filed based on the magistrate’s statement and minimum force was used to maintain law and order. However, Jan Suraj supporters claim their protest was peaceful and the police used force unnecessarily. Kishore has called it an attempt to suppress the voice of the people.
Prashant Kishore warned the Nitish Kumar government that if their demands are not met, next time one lakh people will march on the streets of Patna. He criticised the state government, calling it the “jungle raj of bureaucracy” and said his campaign for education, employment, and removal of the liquor ban will continue strongly in Bihar.
