Patna: Jan Suraj chief Prashant Kishor starts hunger strike amid BPSC row

Patna (Bihar) [India], January 2 (ANI): Jan Suraj chief Prashant Kishore launched an indefinite hunger strike on Thursday, demanding the cancellation of the Bihar Civil Services (BPSC) examination over the alleged paper leak incident.
Kishore joined the aspirants of the BPSC in their protest at Gandhi Maidan on Thursday and criticized Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar for not meeting the students.
"This is against the egoistic government (of Bihar) whose leader CM Nitish Kumar did not consider meeting the students even when the students had agreed to withdraw the movement if the CM said that the exams couldn't be held... The students were beaten up by the authorities... There is only one way for people like us, Hence I am doing an indefinite hunger strike," he said.
The protesting students in Patna are demanding the cancellation of the Integrated Combined (Preliminary) Competitive Examination (CCE) 2024 conducted by the Bihar Public Service Commission (BPSC) on December 13.
Earlier on Tuesday, Congress and Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist) (CPI-ML) leaders marched towards Raj Bhavan to meet the Governor over the BPSC issue. As the leader marched towards the Raj Bhawan, the police stopped them.
Congress leader Shakeel Ahmed Khan alleged that the Bihar government is unable to provide justice to the students.
"The Bihar government is unable to provide justice to the students... If they try to suppress the voice of the students, we will oppose it. The police have stopped us right now," he said.
On Sunday, Bihar police lathi-charged and used water cannons to disperse the protesting BPSC aspirants in Gandhi Maidan.
Following the incident, Bihar Police registered an FIR against hundreds of individuals, including Prashant Kishore, for unauthorised gatherings, instigating people, and creating law and order issues in Gandhi Maidan.
RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav condemned the lathi charge on protesting Bihar BPSC aspirants. In a video statement, the former Bihar Deputy Chief Minister said, "It is very painful how BPSC aspirants were beaten up by the police. Many people are badly injured in this... We condemn this. The visuals that have surfaced are painful. I am a youth, and I can understand their situation. Firstly, people were protesting against normalisation..."
"On 15-16 December, BPSC announced the cancellation of the exam at one centre. If the paper had been leaked, then why is the exam being cancelled only at one centre? It is a kind of normalisation... That's why students are protesting for a re-examination. I also support this," the RJD leader said.
Bihar Education Minister Sunil Kumar said on Monday that the BPSC will probe the complaints raised by the aspirants over the Integrated Combined Competitive Examination (CCE), 2024.
Speaking to media persons, Kumar said: "They can say what they want; it is their right, but the Commission will probe this and will take an appropriate decision." (ANI)