Prashant Kishor, who launched an indefinite hunger strike on January 2, has joined students in demanding the cancellation of the 70th BPSC preliminary examination held December13.
Jan Suraaj founder Prashant Kishor was arrested early Monday during his hunger strike at Gandhi Maidan, where he has been protesting alleged irregularities in the Bihar Public Service Commission (BPSC) examination. Police removed Kishor from the protest site and took him to AIIMS Patna for a medical check-up, according to PTI.
Videos from the site show a large police contingent escorting Kishor away as other protestors tried to block the officers.
Kishor, who launched an indefinite hunger strike on January 2, has joined students in demanding the cancellation of the 70th BPSC preliminary examination held December13. Allegations of a leaked question paper sparked the protests, which have been ongoing at Gandhi Maidan for over two weeks.
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Why Kishor and protestors oppose the BPSC exam
Kishor, an election strategist-turned-politician, has been vocal about alleged irregularities in the exam. Following the state government’s announcement of a re-examination, Kishor called it a tacit acknowledgment of malpractice. He urged opposition leaders like Rahul Gandhi and Tejashwi Yadav to rally behind the students, saying, “The future of the youth is at stake.”
An FIR was previously filed against Kishor and some supporters for what authorities deemed an illegal protest. Kishor slammed the Nitish Kumar-led government, accusing it of using force against dissent, stating, “We are faced with a brutal regime which has ordered lathi charge 87 times in just three years.”
Kishor warned the state government of escalating protests if a re-examination is not announced before January 31, the date set for the BPSC prelims results. Kishor told The Indian Express, “If the government does not order re-examination of the Bihar Public Service Commission’s prelims before 31st January (the date of announcement of the BPSC prelims result), we will not let the government hold the January 26 official function at this ground. We will ensure that at least 500 students come to the ground from each block of Bihar.”
