In a heated political atmosphere, RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav has accused the newly-formed Jan Suraaj Party, led by political strategist Prashant Kishor, of functioning as the ‘B team’ for the ruling Nitish Kumar alliance in Bihar. His remarks came following a protest by BPSC aspirants demanding a re-examination for the recently conducted 70th BPSC prelims. The demonstration escalated when police employed water cannons to disperse the crowd at JP Golamber in Patna.
In a video message released late on Sunday, Yadav expressed concern that protesters were “misled” into marching toward Gandhi Maidan, despite warnings from authorities. He emphasized that the student-led movement, which had seen a nearly two-week-long sit-in at Gardani Bagh, was gaining momentum before the intervention of elements he claimed were undermining their efforts.
“This movement was sparked by students. The government’s tremors were felt during the Gardani Bagh dharna. Unfortunately, opportunists surfaced, acting as the government’s B team,” Yadav stated. He criticized those who offered to lead the protest but failed to stand with the participants when law enforcement intervened.
Notably, although Kishor was not present during the police action, his earlier address to the protesters, along with his supporters, has resulted in an FIR being filed against him and Jan Suraaj Party president Manoj Bharti.
As tensions rose, the protesters attempted to march towards the chief minister’s residence, prompting police action, as confirmed by Patna District Magistrate Chandrashekhar Singh.
Yadav pledged that his party would politically support the demand for the cancellation of the Combined Competitive Exams, which saw over five lakh candidates participate at more than 900 centers across the state on December 13. He urged the protesters to remain steadfast against empty promises and emphasized the importance of their cause. “January 4 is just days away; we have a chance to compel the government to respond,” he added.
In a significant development, the BPSC has announced it will hold re-examinations for over 10,000 candidates who attended the Bapu Pariksha Parisar center, where allegations of question paper leaks had arisen. The BPSC has dismissed these claims, asserting that any disruptions were part of a “conspiracy” to invalidate the examination.
