Patna
Prashant Kishor, founder of Jan Suraaj, was detained by Patna police on January 6, 2025, during a protest at Gandhi Maidan. Kishor had been on a hunger strike since January 2, demanding the cancellation of the Bihar Public Service Commission (BPSC) exam held on December 13, 2024, due to alleged irregularities, including a question paper leak.
The situation escalated when Kishor resisted police attempts to remove him from the protest site, leading to a tense confrontation. A video circulating on social media appears to show Kishor being manhandled by a police officer. Following his detention, he was taken to Patna AIIMS for a medical examination.
Patna District Magistrate Chandrashekhar Singh stated that Kishor and his supporters were arrested for conducting an "illegal" protest in a restricted area near the Mahatma Gandhi statue at Gandhi Maidan. Singh confirmed that Kishor would be presented before a court.
The protest was in response to allegations of a question paper leak during the BPSC exam on December 13, 2024. While the BPSC arranged a retest for affected candidates on January 4, 2025, Kishor and his supporters demanded the complete cancellation of the exam. The retest was conducted across 22 centers in Patna, with over 5,900 candidates participating, and was reported to have been conducted without any incidents of misconduct.
This incident follows previous tensions between Kishor and BPSC aspirants. On December 30, 2024, aspirants accused Kishor of abandoning them during a police lathi charge at Patna's Gardanibagh, leading to demands for him to leave the protest site.
Additionally, an FIR was filed against Kishor and 20 others for unauthorized assembly and incitement during BPSC aspirants' protests in Patna. The district magistrate had declared Gandhi Maidan a restricted area, prohibiting student gatherings.
The ongoing protests and Kishor's detention highlight the growing unrest among civil service aspirants in Bihar, raising concerns about the transparency and fairness of the state's examination processes.
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