Patna: Prashant Kishor, the founder of Jansuraj, was arrested by Patna police on Monday morning while staging a fast-unto-death at Gandhi Maidan in support of Bihar Public Service Commission (BPSC) candidates. The arrest followed a police operation that involved forcibly removing Kishor from the protest site.
Kishor, who began his fast on January 2 to protest alleged irregularities in the BPSC exam, was produced before the Patna Civil Court. The court granted him bail on a personal bond of Rs 25,000. However, Kishor has refused to accept the conditional bail.
The arrest unfolded amidst a tense standoff between police and protesters. Police personnel reportedly slapped Kishor and forcibly removed him from the dharna site, leading to scuffles with his supporters.
The police later took Kishor to AIIMS in an ambulance and subsequently to the Fatuha Community Health Center for a medical check-up.
Patna DM Chandrashekhar Singh justified the arrest, stating that the protest at Gandhi Maidan was unauthorized.
The BPSC 70th Preliminary Exam, held on December 13th, has been marred by controversy. Irregularities at the Bapu Examination Complex in Patna, including late delivery of question papers and allegations of paper leaks, led to the cancellation of the exam at that center.
However, the controversy escalated with demands for the cancellation of the entire exam. Candidates, supported by opposition leaders like Tejashwi Yadav and Pappu Yadav, staged protests and demanded a fresh examination.
The situation further intensified with police action against protesters, including lathicharges and the use of water cannons.
The BPSC candidates have raised several concerns, including:
- Demand for the cancellation of the entire preliminary exam and a fresh examination.
- Concerns over the fairness of holding two separate exams with potentially different difficulty levels.
- Allegations of police brutality and suppression of peaceful protests.
The controversy has brought the functioning of the BPSC under scrutiny and sparked a debate on the fairness and transparency of the state’s competitive examination system.
