Patna (Bihar) [India], December 27 : RJD leader and former Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav targeted CM Nitish Kumar over the state government's handling of the Bihar Public Service Commission (BPSC) aspirants' protest saying that this government is only of corrupt people.
"There is no government here...The CM is silent on all the issues...When our government was there, the youths were happy. Today there are only marks on their body (under Nitish Kumar's government)...The CM is lost somewhere. It seems that he has become a history and there is no CM in the state...This government is only of corrupt people," the RJD leader said.
DM control room special executive magistrate, MS Khan said that they'll try to handle the crowd peacefully but if it commits violence, strict action will be taken.
"No agitator will be allowed entry into the prohibited areas... Those who break the law will face legal action no matter who it is... We have eyes on the provokers and will take legal action when the time comes... The police force is sufficient and no one (protestor) will be allowed to break the law or move towards BPSC... We will try to handle the crowd peacefully but if it commits violence, strict action will be taken," Khan said.
Examination Controller, Rajesh Kumar Singh said that the allegations of the paper leak are baseless and are not supported by any evidence.
"The Commission has decided that on 4th January (2025) the Prelims Test (of those students who were in the Bapu Examination Centre) will be held and we aim to release the results by the end of the month so that Mains are conducted by April... There has been no report from 911 centres, but only this (Bapu Examination Centre) one... Allegations of the paper leak are baseless and are not supported by any evidence... 40,000 admit cards were not even downloaded... 4.49 lakh admit cards were downloaded while only 3.38 lakh candidates appeared for the exam, so there's a significant gap," he said.
Meanwhile, Jan Suraj chief Prashant Kishore on Friday alleged that democracy in the state has been replaced by "lathi-tantra" (rule of the stick).
Expressing solidarity with the protesting aspirants in Patna, Kishore stated that no authority has the right to use force against individuals expressing their views democratically.
"In Bihar, democracy has transformed into 'lathi-tantra' over the last 1-2 years. If any section of society approaches the government to express their views, the response is often lathi charges. This is detrimental to democracy. The government must listen to the students. If people are expressing their views peacefully and democratically, there is absolutely no justification for lathi charges. I stand with the students. Action should be taken against those responsible for this. We oppose the use of force against students," Kishore asserted.
Educator and YouTuber Faizal Khan, popularly known as Khan Sir, joined the protestors on Friday and urged them to protest peacefully. He also chanted slogans alongside the aspirants against the BPSC.
"We are only demanding a re-examination by the commission. They can make it as challenging as they wish; we are not shying away. However, the exam should not feature questions that insult our intelligence. The questions in our class tests are harder than this. Why did the commission conceal evidence and CCTV footage? There are many concerning issues that require investigation. We will approach the Supreme Court and even appeal to the President to highlight what is happening in Bihar. First, the country's GDP declined, then a bridge in Bihar collapsed, and now the BPSC has collapsed," he remarked.
The BPSC aspirants gathered outside the commission's office in Patna to demand the cancellation of the exam. The protests, which began on December 13, were sparked by allegations of irregularities during the examination.
Candidates have alleged that the question paper was leaked, and there were delays in distributing the papers. Some reported receiving the question paper nearly an hour late, while others claimed that answer sheets were torn, raising suspicions of malpractice.
The protests have drawn sharp political reactions, with Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief Lalu Yadav criticising the police's actions. He stated that resorting to lathi charges against students was unjust.