Patna: Jan Suraaj chief Prashant Kishor was detained by the Patna Police in the early hours of Monday, January 6. 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 Jan Suraaj chief Prashant 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.
Taking to X, the district administration of Patna informed “Prashant Kishor of Jan Suraaj Party and some other people were illegally protesting in front of Gandhi statue in the restricted area of the Gandhi Maidan for the five-points demand. The administration had issued a notice to move from there to the designated place of protest, Gardanibagh. An FIR was lodged in Gandhi Maidan police station for illegally protesting in the restricted area.”
जन सुराज पार्टी के श्री प्रशांत किशोर एवं कुछ अन्य लोगों के द्वारा अपनी पाँच-सूत्री माँगों को लेकर प्रतिबंधित क्षेत्र गांधी मैदान के गांधी मूर्ति के समक्ष अवैध ढंग से धरना दिया जा रहा था। प्रशासन द्वारा वहाँ से हटकर धरना के लिए निर्धारित स्थल गर्दनीबाग में जाने के लिए नोटिस दिया…
— District Administration Patna (@dm_patna) January 6, 2025
“Despite repeated requests and giving sufficient times, the place was not vacated. Hence, today (Monday) in the morning he has been arrested along with some supporters. They are completely healthy. Action is being taken to present them before the court as per the prescribed procedure,” read the tweet further.
Kishor was observing a hunger strike 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 Prashant Kishor.
Earlier on Sunday, Prashant 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).
Kishor was responding to remarks made by the former Bihar Deputy Chief Minister. He stated that 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,” Kishor said.
On Saturday, 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.
“It is being completely politicised. We feel that the people of Bihar will have to recognise these people who are the BJP’s ‘B’ team and are trying to crush this independent movement. This is highly condemnable,” he said.
On the controversy surrounding Jan Suraaj Chief Prashant Kishor’s vanity van, Yadav stated, “An attempt was made to end the movement. Actors sit in the vanity van and the producer and the director make them sit, we know who is the producer who the director is, and why the actor was made to sit. Everyone knows.”
The students are calling for the cancellation of the Integrated Combined (Preliminary) Competitive Examination (CCE) 2024, conducted by the BPSC on December 13, due to alleged question paper leaks. (ANI)
