Patna: Hundreds of Bihar Public Service Commission (BPSC) candidates gathered at Gardanibagh in Patna on Friday to protest against the normalization policy proposed for BPSC exams. The protest, joined by popular educators Khan Sir and Guru Rehman Sir, intensified as police resorted to lathicharge to disperse the crowd. Both educators were taken into custody during the evening but were later released.
Khan Sir was initially detained by police and taken to the Gardanibagh police station. He was released after an hour, but later in the night, Guru Rehman was also detained, prompting a large gathering of students outside the police station demanding his release.
Magistrate MH Khan justified the action, stating, “The protest was illegal and did not have the necessary permissions. It is against the law to stage protests at night without approval.”
Amid the unrest, the Bihar Public Service Commission (BPSC) clarified its stance on normalization. Chairman Parmar Ravi Manu Bhai stated that normalization would not be implemented in the 70th BPSC examination scheduled for December 13. He added, “Normalization will be considered for the 71st examination, but no final decision has been made yet. Candidates should not be misled by misinformation.”
BPSC issued an official notice urging candidates to focus on exam preparations and dismiss misleading information circulating on social media.
Former MP Pappu Yadav also joined the protest, demanding the abolition of normalization in BPSC exams. He suggested postponing the 70th examination and ensuring that the process remains leak-proof.
The protest turned violent as police lathicharged the demonstrators after they refused to disperse. Several candidates sustained injuries, including one with a fractured leg and another with a head injury.
A protesting student alleged, “The police chased and beat us. We were peacefully demanding our rights, but they used excessive force.”
Despite the lathicharge, the students regrouped multiple times at the protest site, determined to continue their demonstration.
Khan Sir, speaking to the media, said, “We are protesting peacefully and will not leave until normalization is abolished. A notification should be issued to address our concerns.”
Echoing his sentiment, Guru Rehman declared, “Both Khans will not bow down.”
