Prashant Kishor Among Key Figures Named in FIR Following BPSC Aspirants’ Protest in Patna
Patna: District administration has issued a detailed statement following a day of chaotic protests led by BPSC aspirants and members of the Jan Suraj Party, which resulted in clashes with police and the disruption of public order. The protests, which occurred on Sunday, culminated in water cannons and the use of mild force by the police to disperse the crowd near JP Golambar.
According to the administration, Jan Suraj Party on Saturday applied to organize a “Chhatra Sansad” in front of the Gandhi statue at Gandhi Maidan. This request was rejected in line with district regulations, and the party was informed in advance. However, on Sunday, the party allegedly gathered an unauthorized crowd near the Gandhi statue and incited the protestors, leading to what the administration described as a law and order situation.
The protestors marched without permission to JP Golambar, where they reportedly blocked the road, engaged in altercations with on-duty magistrates and police, and damaged loudspeakers installed by the administration for crowd control. Despite repeated requests, the administration claims that the protestors violated guidelines, disrupted public order, and refused to cooperate with efforts to send a delegation of five members to submit a memorandum to the Chief Secretary.
When the crowd became unmanageable, the administration resorted to water cannons and mild force to disperse the approximately 100 remaining protestors, restoring normalcy in the area.
An FIR has been lodged at Gandhi Maidan police station against 21 named individuals, including high-profile figures such as Manoj Bharti, the president of Jan Suraj Party, and political strategist and party’s founder Prashant Kishore. Charges include unauthorized assembly, instigating the crowd, and creating a law and order disturbance. The FIR also lists 600 to 700 unidentified individuals involved in the protest.
The district administration has stated that strict action will be taken against all those who disrupted law and order, and the investigation is ongoing to identify others involved in the unauthorized gathering.