Patna: Prashant Kishor, the Jan Suraaj Party Chief, on Friday, intensified his protest by staging a hunger strike at the Gandhi Maidan in Patna, firmly standing in solidarity with BPSC candidates demanding justice over alleged irregularities in the 70th BPSC Preliminary Examination.
His actions have drawn widespread attention and stirred the state administration into action.
On Friday, the Patna Additional District Magistrate visited the protest site in an attempt to persuade Kishor to withdraw his hunger strike.
However, the Jan Suraaj Party Chief made his position unequivocally clear, saying: “Thousands of children have faith in me. On December 29, I asked students to follow the administration’s orders and disperse, yet they were brutally cane-charged. Now, under no circumstances will I withdraw this movement on the administration’s orders.”
The Bihar government has been deploying police personnel at the Gandhi Maidan to monitor the situation closely.
Kishor’s unyielding stance has further escalated tensions, putting additional pressure on the administration to address the students’ demands.
The hunger strike follows 17 days of protests by students and political groups over alleged paper leaks and irregularities in the BPSC examination.
Kishor joined the movement as a show of solidarity, amplifying its visibility.
He continued his hunger strike on Friday at the Gandhi Maidan in Patna.
Kishor clarified the sole condition for ending the hunger strike and said: “This movement will be withdrawn only when the Chief Minister meets the children, listens to them, and allows them to decide the next course of action. I will accept the decision of the children.”
The Jan Suraaj Party Chief and the candidates are demanding the government to address five points such as re-examination of the 70th BPSC Preliminary Exam, transparency in the recruitment process, accountability for the alleged paper leaks, reforms to prevent future examination irregularities and justice for students affected by the current examination controversy.
Thousands of BPSC candidates, student organisations, and Jan Suraaj Party supporters have joined Kishor at Gandhi Maidan.
Students are raising slogans against the government, saying: “The government which cannot conduct re-examination is useless.”
The atmosphere is charged with enthusiasm and a shared resolve to continue the peaceful protest until their demands are met.
Despite harsh cold conditions, Kishor and his supporters remain steadfast.
(IANS)
