Patna (Bihar) [India], January 6 : Jan Suraaj leader Prashant Kishor, arrested on early Monday morning over the Bihar Civil Services (BPSC) exam protests, was sent to jail after he refused to sign the conditions of his bail bond.
"For 5 days I have been protesting in Gandhinagar but today at 4 am few officials of police came and said we are detaining you, so please come along with us. The behaviour of the police was not wrong. Someone has claimed that a police official slapped me but this is wrong. They took me to AIIMS. From 5-11 am, I was made to sit in the Police vehicle and they kept taking me to different places. Nobody told me where I was being taken even though I asked them multiple times," Kishor told reporters.
He further said that after five hours the police took him to conduct the medical tests.
"They wanted to get the certificate from doctors. I refused to give my consent because I did not do any criminal activity, I told the doctors this...Police tried to convince the doctors but they refused to give illegal certificates. They recorded my statement that I refused to give a medical test...I was taken to court and I was granted bail but, it is written in the order that I should not do any wrongdoings, so I rejected this bail order, and I accepted to go to jail. This is the fundamental fight. I am ready to go to jail," he added.
Kishor was observing a fast-unto-death over BPSC irregularities, launched on January 2 in support of the protesting students, who are demanding a cancellation of the Bihar Public Service Commission exam.
Earlier today, YV Giri, Prashant Kishor's Advocate, condemned the police's alleged brutality against Kishor and his supporters, who were peacefully protesting in support of students.
Giri claimed the police physically lifted, pushed, and punched the protesters, including Kishor, who was slapped without justification, violating Section 21.
"There's a rule of law in our country, and it will take its course, favouring the students, Prashant Kishor, and Jan Suraaj. However, the police have taken the law into their own hands, behaving barbarically without reason. They disrupted a peaceful protest led by Prashant Kishor, where people were fasting and sleeping, by physically lifting, pushing, and punching them. Prashant Kishor was even slapped without justification, violating Section 21," he said.
He further asserted that this move appears to be a government attempt to hide the misdeeds of the Bihar Public Service Commission.
"The student movement, supported by Prashant Kishor, was disrupted to avoid re-examination. As a result, Prashant Kishor's arrest was made under false pretences. Unfortunately, his current whereabouts are unknown, with reports suggesting he was taken to AIIMS and then relocated to an undisclosed location," Giri said.
The Jan Suraaj party in a post on X claimed that Kishor had been detained in Fatuah and accused the Patna police of High-handed behaviour.
"Patna police is so scared that they are not even able to bring Prashant Kishor to Patna. He has been kept sitting in a community health centre in Fatuha for hours, " the post on X read.
"The police administration tried to break Prashant Kishor's fast by taking him from Gandhi Maidan to AIIMS. After failing to break the fast, the administration is trying to take Prashant Kishore to a new place. The police brutally lathicharged the crowd that had gathered to see Prashant Kishore outside AIIMS," the party further added.