A day after students protesting against the Bihar Public Service Commission’s (BPSC) preliminary exam were lathicharged by police, the candidates met state Chief Secretary Amrit Lal Meena on Monday. However, they claimed no concrete assurances were made regarding their demands, which include the withdrawal of FIRs against over a dozen students.
Jan Suraaj Party founder Prashant Kishor, who led a procession supporting the students’ demands on Sunday, faced criticism from RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav. Yadav accused Kishor of “running away” from the protest site during the police action. Senior JD(U) leader Neeraj Kumar also called Kishor a “political fugitive.”
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Kishor, who had been vocal about the issue, issued a 48-hour ultimatum to the Nitish Kumar-led state government, demanding action to resolve the matter. “As of now, the future of our young students should be the top priority. We can play the game of politics later,” he stated. If the demands are not met by January 1, Kishor warned that the students would resume their protests with greater intensity, including road blockades.
Earlier, before meeting the chief secretary, Kishor alleged corruption in the BPSC exam process and claimed “thousands of crores” had changed hands for vacant posts. He also criticized CM Nitish Kumar for remaining silent while the students braved harsh conditions during the protest. “The CM is away in Delhi, and having a good time. He did not utter a single word when reporters in the national capital approached him with queries on the stir,” Kishor remarked.
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Since December 18, hundreds of students have been demanding a re-examination of the BPSC prelims, which were held on December 13. The exam was cancelled at a Patna centre following allegations of a delay in distributing question papers. A student leader, part of the delegation that met Meena, said, “The chief secretary listened to our demands but didn’t offer any concrete assurance.” The students also emphasised that the fresh examination held for 18,000 candidates at the Patna centre was unfair.
The meeting was facilitated by Jan Suraaj Party leader and former IPS officer RK Mishra.
In a separate development, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge criticized the BJP, accusing the party of fostering a “paper leak mafia” that was damaging the future of the youth. He condemned the use of water cannons and lathi-charges on the protesting students, stating that “the attempt to break the morale of youth through dictatorship is extremely shameful.”
Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra also condemned the actions, calling the BJP-led government in Bihar a “symbol of double atrocities on youth.” She emphasised that the government should focus on ending corruption and paper leaks in exams, rather than suppressing students’ voices.