Jan Suraaj founder Prashant Kishor was arrested in the early hours of Monday while on a fast unto death at Gandhi Maidan, demanding the cancellation of a controversial Bihar Public Service Commission (BPSC) examination.
Kishor, along with his supporters, was forcibly removed from the protest site and taken to Patna AIIMS for medical examination.
The protest was declared “illegal” as it was held at a restricted area near the Mahatma Gandhi statue, stated Chandrashekhar Singh, the District Magistrate of Patna.
According to sources, Prashant Kishor was “forcibly removed” by the police from Patna’s Gandhi Maidan and transported to AIIMS in an ambulance.
A video shared on social media captured senior Patna Police officials removing Kishor from the hunger strike site amid fierce resistance from his supporters, who chanted “Vande Mataram” slogans in protest.
Earlier, the district administration lodged an FIR against Kishor and “150 supporters,” citing the protest at Gandhi Maidan as “illegal.”
“Yes, Kishor and his supporters sitting on dharna at Gandhi Maidan were arrested by the police on Monday morning. They will now be produced before a court,” Singh said.
The BPSC examination, held on 13 December, had been mired in allegations of a question paper leak. Kishor’s hunger strike, which began on 2 January, sought justice for aspirants by calling for the cancellation of the exam.
The Bihar Public Service Commission (BPSC), in a statement issued on 4 January, confirmed that the retest was conducted peacefully across all centres, with no reports of misconduct or malpractice, however, Kishor maintained that the move failed to address the larger concerns of irregularities.
“It is not a matter of decision for us whether we will continue this (protest) or not. We will continue doing what we are doing now. There will be no change in it. We (Jan Suraaj Party) will file a petition in the High Court on January 7 (Tuesday),” Kishor stated.
The retest, conducted at 22 centres in Patna, witnessed a turnout of 5,943 candidates out of 8,111 who had downloaded their admit cards.
Despite its peaceful conduct and the absence of malpractice, Kishor dismissed the retest as inadequate.
The authorities, however, reiterated the legality of their actions, emphasising that the original examination’s integrity remained intact.
The Patna Police registered a case against Kishor for staging the protest at a restricted site. The Mahatma Gandhi statue area, designated as a no-protest zone, has been the focal point of several recent demonstrations.
After Kishor’s removal from the protest site, Patna Police conducted a thorough check of vehicles departing from Gandhi Maidan.
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