Kumar Bahukhandi
Prashant Kishore (file photo)
BPSC Aspirants Protest: Jan Suraj Party chief Prashant Kishore has come under fire amid the protests by BPSC students in Bihar. A video of him is going viral on social media, which is being shared with the claim that the students got angry with Prashant Kishore
The protest of BPSC candidates is going on in Patna. After the lathi charge yesterday (29 December), the students have called for Bihar Bandh today. Meanwhile, Jan Suraj Party chief Prashant Kishore has come under the target of the students. A video related to PK is going viral on social media. By sharing the video, it is being claimed that the angry students forced Prashant Kishore to leave the protest site. The video has also been shared from the social media account of Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD)
According to the claim, in the video PK is telling the students, ‘These new leaders have just come. Listen to me… You have just asked for blankets from us and you are showing us your leadership.’ The students get angry at this statement of PK and say that who has asked for blankets from you. You are threatening by giving blankets. In another video, the students are also seen raising slogans of Go Back for Prashant Kishore. It is being told that the students are angry since Prashant Kishore left the protest yesterday (29 December) evening before the lathi charge. Now along with Bihar’s Leader of Opposition and RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav, Purnia MP Pappu Yadav has also targeted Prashant Kishore.
Students are adamant on the demand to cancel the exam
Actually, students have been protesting in Patna for the last 12 days. Students are demanding cancellation of 70th joint examination of BPSC. Regarding this, the candidates tried to reach CM residence on the evening of 29 December, 2024 but at 8 pm Patna Police used water cannon to stop the students. During this, lathi charge was also done.
Prashant Kishore was leading the march!
Students say that despite several days of protest, Nitish Kumar government did not talk to them. After this, under the leadership of Prashant Kishore, they decided to take out a march towards the Secretariat. On Sunday evening, everyone left for Gandhi Maidan to talk to the government. To stop them, Bihar Police had barricaded in several layers. Barricading was also done at Hotel Maurya but the candidates broke it and moved forward, where Bihar Police reached to stop them.
PK accused of leaving the students
It is being told that PK had called a student parliament at Gandhi Maidan at 1 pm on Sunday. A march was taken out for CM residence at around 4.30 pm. The candidates broke the first barricade at JP Golambar. When the second barricade was broken at JP Golambar at 6 pm, PK said that the delegation has been called by the government for talks. At 6:45 pm, PK left the candidates and went away. After this, the police increased its presence. At 7:40 pm, the police used water cannon and then lathicharged.
Misled to march: Tejashwi
The RJD chief has targeted the Jan Suraj Party and its chief Prashant Kishore. Tejashwi has accused PK of working like Nitish’s ‘B-team’. Tejashwi Yadav said, ‘The protesters were ‘misled’ to march towards Gandhi Maidan. When the time came to face lathicharge and water cannons, the people leading the protest ran away. He said that the movement was started by the students. The dharna that lasted for about two weeks in Gardani Bagh had shaken the government, where I also went. Some elements were working as the B team of the government.
Showing off his power: Pappu Yadav
MP from Bihar’s Purnea Rajesh Ranjan aka Pappu Yadav launched a scathing attack on Prashant Kishor. He said, “Prashantji himself has become a new leader and is threatening students. Showing off his power! Today when he doesn’t have the electoral power of a penny, he is dripping with arrogance. Big governments have vanished in front of students, what are you? Students were being beaten up by the police, you turned your back and ran away, and abused them when they asked questions?”
Atrocities for the second time in 3 days: Priyanka
Priyanka Gandhi supported the BPSC candidates protesting in Patna. She tweeted, ‘Students were tortured for the second time in three days in Bihar. Instead of stopping corruption, rigging, paper leaks in exams, students are being stopped from raising their voice. Water cannon and lathi charge on youth in this harsh cold is inhuman. BJP’s double engine double on youth. The engine has become a symbol of double atrocities on youth.’
The fact is Prashant Kishore have seen a good opportunity in joining the youth protesting on the streets of Patna. He have thought that by coming out on the streets and supporting the unemployed, he would get the support of the youth troubled by unemployment and the difficulties in crossing the electoral river would be reduced a bit, but it seems that the gamble has backfired.
Prashant Kishore has been accused of instigating the protesting candidates, and the leader of the opposition in the Bihar assembly, Tejashwi Yadav, has accused him of hijacking the youth’s movement.
When Jan Suraj leader Prashant Kishore reached to support the movement, he had a heated argument with the youth. And, there is also an allegation that when he saw the strict attitude of the police, he left before the water cannon and lathicharge. A video is also viral on social media, in which Prashant Kishore can be heard saying, ‘…ghar jaana hai’.
However, correcting his mistake, the next day Prashant Kishore also went to the hospital to meet the students injured in the police action – and also gave an explanation.
Why is Prashant Kishore on the target of students?
The youth of Bihar have been protesting since December 18 demanding the cancellation of the 70th BPSC preliminary examination. The uproar has increased after Prashant Kishore’s entry into the movement on December 29 , 2024 . The left student organisation AISA has called for a Bihar bandh today on Monday December 30, 2024 in protest against the police action which so far seems to be not that effective .
