Bihar: Protests escalate in Patna as police lathi charge BPSC aspirants

Tensions surged in Patna as police resorted to lathi charge to disperse aspirants protesting against the Bihar Public Service Commission (BPSC) at Gandhi Maidan. The protesters are demanding a re-examination of the recently held 70th BPSC preliminary exam, citing alleged irregularities.  

Jan Suraj leader Prashant Kishore joined the agitating students, strongly criticizing the Bihar government for its handling of the situation. Addressing media personnel, Kishore accused the administration of converting democracy into "lathi-tantra" by suppressing students' rights to peaceful protest. He reaffirmed the students' right to assemble in public spaces, stating, "Gandhi Maidan is a public place. If students have no other space, where else will they go?"  

Emphasizing Bihar's legacy as the birthplace of democracy, Kishore remarked, "If students here are denied the right to voice their concerns, it undermines the very essence of democracy." He also expressed solidarity with the aspirants, urging the government to listen to their demands rather than treat the issue as a matter of prestige.  

Meanwhile, Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) Gaurav Kumar visited Gandhi Maidan, where students continued their sit-in protest. The aspirants are calling for the cancellation of the Integrated Combined Preliminary Competitive Examination (CCE) conducted on December 13, 2024, citing discrepancies in the process.  

The unrest has sparked widespread support, including protests in New Delhi, where members of the Students' Federation of India (SFI) were detained outside Bihar Bhawan for condemning the police's action against the students in Patna.


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