Jan Suraaj leader Prashant Kishor began a hunger strike on Thursday, demanding the cancellation of a recent exam held by the Bihar Public Service Commission (BPSC). He made the announcement at Gandhi Maidan in Patna, just days after giving a 48-hour ultimatum to the Nitish Kumar government to address the issue raised by dissatisfied candidates.
The administration declared the hunger strike illegal, as Gandhi Maidan is not an authorised protest site. Kishor's main demand is to cancel the exam held on December 13 and conduct a new one.
He also raised concerns about allegations that exam positions were "sold" and called for the corrupt officials involved to be identified and punished.
The protest location was close to Gardani Bagh, where candidates have been protesting for nearly two weeks. Kishor, a former poll strategist, also demanded that the state government reserve two-thirds of government jobs for local candidates.
He criticised the government for not fulfilling promises made by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar regarding unemployment benefits and called for the introduction of unemployment allowances.
Kishor also demanded a report on past competitive exams plagued by question paper leaks, accusing the government of failing to take action against the education mafia behind these issues.
His aggressive stance came after being criticised by both ruling and opposition leaders, following a demonstration on Sunday that ended in a police lathi charge and use of water cannons.
The district administration stated that Kishor's protest at Gandhi Maidan is illegal, citing a Patna High Court ruling that restricts demonstrations to Gardani Bagh. An FIR will be filed, and Kishor and his supporters were warned to relocate to Gardani Bagh or face legal consequences.
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Meanwhile, CPI(ML) Liberation announced a protest outside the Chief Minister's residence on Friday, demanding that Nitish Kumar address the issue and cancel the exam. They urged the government to take action against corrupt officials and conduct fresh exams.
Around five lakh candidates took the Combined Competitive Exams on December 13, but many boycotted the exam, claiming question paper leaks. The BPSC denied the allegations, calling them a conspiracy to cancel the exam, but it ordered fresh tests for over 10,000 candidates who had taken the test at Bapu Pariksha Parisar.
Some candidates are unhappy with the new testing arrangements, claiming it disrupts fairness.
Kishor's party had previously met with the Chief Secretary to discuss the issue, but the government maintains that the BPSC, an independent body, is responsible for making decisions about the exam.
Senior Minister Vijay Kumar Chaudhary recently stated that there was no evidence of a question paper leak, signaling the government's reluctance to take action that would satisfy the protesting candidates.
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