Patna, Dec 26 (PTI) Political strategist-turned-activist Prashant Kishor on Thursday gave a three-day time to the Nitish Kumar government in Bihar to resolve issues related to the alleged question paper leak of a recent PSC exam.
The state has been witnessing a widespread demonstration by civil service aspirants over the issue and the police faced criticism for using force on protesters.
Kishor, whose Jan Suraaj party had last week written to Chief Secretary Amrit Lal Meena for cancellation of the examination held by the Bihar Public Service Commission (BPSC) on December 13, warned the police of protests if job seekers are baton-charged in future.
The Jan Suraaj party chief on Thursday reached Gardani Bagh, the designated place for organising protests or dharna, where civil service aspirants have been holding a sit-in for the last several days and demanding cancellation of the December 13 exam.
"The government must meet protesting students or their representatives and consider their demand for re-examination. I am giving an ultimatum to the state government. The administration must resolve this issue within three days," Kishor said.
He extended support to the protesters and said he would join a march on Monday.
"I am always here to support the students. I will also join protest march of the students tomorrow. I will be at the forefront. If the police resort to baton-charge, I will be the first to face that. The police action against students on Wednesday is highly condemnable," he said while addressing the protesting aspirants.
Chaos erupted outside the BPSC office on Wednesday when police baton-charged the protesters who were seeking cancellation of the 70th Integrated Combined Competitive Examination (CCE) 2024.
The demonstrators alleged irregularities in the exam, including paper leaks, and sought re-examination.
A group of protesters marched towards the BPSC office to press their demands, and a confrontation between police personnel and the job seekers ensued after they were stopped.
RJD supremo Lalu Prasad also condemned the police action against protesting job aspirants.
"Police action against protesting students was wrong. Police should not have done this", Lalu told reporters in Patna on Thursday.
Kishor also claimed, "A covil service aspirant died by suicide in Patna on Tuesday, it is unfortunate. The government should announce a compensation of Rs 10 lakh for the family of the deceased."
It may be recalled that 25-year-old Sonu, a resident of Patna's Paliganj area, was preparing for competitive exams and he died allegedly by suicide in the Kankarbagh area of Patna on Tuesday.
Locals and his relatives informed police that Sonu, who was preparing for multiple competitive exams, including Bihar Public Service Commission (BPSC) , was living under tremendous stress for the last few months "due to different exams and anxieties about his career", police officials had said.
Patna-based popular vlogger Motiur Rahman Khan, known as Guru Rahman, also joined the protests at Gardani Bagh on Thursday.
However, Guru Rahman expressed strong displeasure over Kishor's alleged attempt to derive political mileage out of the protest and declared that the Jan Suraj party chief would not be allowed to join the stir on Friday.
"I am with students and will fight for the cause for which they have been protesting here for the last nine days. We will not allow any opposition leaders to come here and derive political mileage out of the protest. Students demanded the cancellation of the entire exam held on December 13 from the government. Only, if somebody from the ruling party comes here, then we will allow them," said Rahman.
Rahman also asked, "Where was Kishor for the last nine days ? He (Kishor) will not be allowed to join the protest of job aspirants tomorrow".
When asked about police preparing to register a case against him for instigating students, he said, "I don't care about all these. I will keep fighting for the cause of students".
The opposition Congress and Purnea MP Pappu Yadav condemned police action against protestors.
Yadav said he would call a Bihar bandh on January 1 if the December 13 examination was not cancelled.
Meanwhile, a Delhi-based tutor was held on Thursday on the charge of instigating aspirants who tried to "storm into" the BPSC office in Patna.
Patna's District Magistrate (DM) Chandrasekhar Singh told PTI that preliminary investigations into Wednesday's protests found that one Rohit, a tutor, mobilised and instigated the aspirants.
Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Rajeev Mishra said, "Initial investigations have revealed that Rohit had come from Delhi and brought along a number of persons, including girls, posing as disgruntled job aspirants. He is being examined by the investigators."
The source of their funding is also being investigated as they seem to be part of a larger conspiracy, he said.
"We are probing the larger conspiracy behind yesterday's incident. What is the source of funding for those who came from outside the state to instigate civil service aspirants is also the focus of our probe. Rohit seems to be the mastermind of yesterday's protest. Patna Police will send a preliminary report to the Economic Offences Unit (EOU) to investigate their source of funding," he told PTI.
Alleging irregularities in the 70th Integrated CCE, aspirants demonstrated outside the BPSC office and sought re-examination.
The police baton-charged the aspirants to bring the situation under control.