Bihar civil service protest: Why Prashant Kishor, and more than 700 others face police cases

A police case has been filed against poll strategist-turned political leader Prashant Kishor, leaders of his Jan Suraaj party, a few coaching centre owners and 700 unknown protesters over the student protests in Bihar held on Sunday.

Kishor and others have been been accused of “unauthorisedly” gathering people, instigating them and creating a law and order problem, according to reports.

Kishore joined the students protesting against the Bihar Public Service Commission (BPSC) examination, and slammed the treatment of students by the Bihar government on December 29. He accused the Bihar government of turning democracy into “lathi-tantra,” and emphasised the right to protest of the students in public spaces.

Protest at Gandhi Maidan turns violent

Kishor’s Jan Suraaj Party, the police said, held a protest march without permission and led the crowd near Patna’s Gandhi Maidan, which turned violent, breaking police loudspeakers and clashing with magistrates and police officers on duty.

“Despite repeated requests by the administration, these people violated the guidelines of the administration and disrupted public order,” the police said.

Police were seen using batons and water cannons to disperse the crowd of students gathered to protest against BPSC aspirants. 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

The students gathered at Gandhi Maidan before marching towards JP Golambar, intending to proceed to Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s residence. They wanted to meet him and discuss the issue.

Kishor extends support

Kishor expressed his support for the students and participated in their march to JP Golambar. He announced that a students’ delegation would meet the Chief Secretary. But the students refused to meet anyone but the Chief Minister and their insistence led to the police action.

“We are not going for a protest. Students are sitting there, we are going to meet them. Gandhi Maidan is a public place, people go there every day. If the students do not have any place, they will go to a public place. I don’t know why the government has made it a question of its prestige, somewhere they are harming themselves,” Kishor had said.

We are not going for a protest. Students are sitting there, we are going to meet them.

Jan Suraaj, became a political party in October this year and is expected to contest in all seats of Bihar in the next year’s assembly election.