PATNA: Protests by aspirants of Bihar Public Service Commission (BPSC) 70th combined competitive examination (CCE) prelims demanding its cancellation and re-examination intensified on Monday, spreading beyond Patna to several districts.
The protests against Sunday’s police lathi-charge and use of water cannons on students in Patna disrupted railway services in some places, with demonstrators halting Bihar Sampark Kranti Express in Darbhanga for an hour and stopping Buxar-Patna passenger train in Ara.
The agitation also led to roadblocks across various districts, including Ara, Begusarai, Bettiah, Buxar, Samastipur, Saran, and Siwan, causing traffic disruptions. Political parties, including RJD and CPI(ML), along with student groups like AISA, RYA, and SFI, have joined the agitation.
A delegation of 10 aspirants met chief secretary Amrit Lal Meena to discuss their grievances. The candidates described the meeting as “constructive and positive”, saying Meena assured them of considering their demands.
CM Nitish Kumar-headed NDA govt has yet to issue an official statement on the demands for cancellation and reorganisation of the BPSC prelims held on Dec 13.
Sunday’s police action occurred when demonstrators joined by Jan Suraaj party founder Prashant Kishor demanded the cancellation of the prelims, alleging large-scale corruption in the recruitment process. “Thousands of crores have changed hands for posts in the BPSC exam,” Kishor said Monday, while criticising the CM for remaining silent. He accused Nitish of being indifferent to the plight of protesters, saying: “The CM is away in Delhi, and having a good time.”
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, party general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, and former Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal condemned the police action on job aspirants. Kharge called the lathi-charge an attempt to suppress dissent and accused BJP of fostering a “paper leak mafia” across the country. Kejriwal described the police action as an attack on democracy, urging authorities to listen to students’ grievances.
Former Bihar deputy CM Tejashwi Yadav of RJD called the police action “very painful”. He accused Kishor and his party outfit of acting as a “B-team” for NDA govt and misleading protesting students. Tejashwi said Kishor’s group encouraged aspirants to march toward Gandhi Maidan in Patna despite administrative warnings. Kishor said he joined the students’ cause to support their legitimate demands. “I stand with these students because I can understand their pain,” he said, while warning that if the students’ meeting with officials failed, he would join an indefinite protest from Jan 2.
Patna saw continued demonstrations at Gardanibagh for the 13th consecutive day. Protests in Chhapra, led by AISA and SFI, blocked key traffic points. In Ara, thousands of CPI(ML) members, AISA, and RYA activists marched to the railway station and halted a passenger train for 30 minutes Monday. AISA district president Sushil Yadav demanded Rs 5 crore compensation for Sonu Kumar’s family, alleging he died by suicide due to exam pressure. “We also seek the dismantling of the paper leak and exam mafia network in Bihar,” Yadav said.
(With inputs from Madan Kumar, Praveen, HK Verma and agencies)