Prashant Kishor, the founder of the Jan Suraaj Party, recently met with students who are protesting against alleged irregularities in the Bihar Public Service Commission (BPSC) exam. These protests in Patna have been ongoing since the exam was held on December 13 and have gathered support from many political leaders, educators, and activists.
Prashant Kishor expressed his support for the students, calling for an end to systemic corruption in Bihar's exams. Speaking to the protesters in Patna, Kishor shared that he had held talks with education officials before the demonstration.
He said, "No exam in Bihar happens without corruption or paper leaks. We must unite to stop this." He encouraged students and youth to gather at the Gandhi Statue on Saturday, saying, "Whatever decision is made, we will stand by the students."
The protests began in mid-December, with students claiming there were several problems during the BPSC exam. Some students allege that the question papers were distributed late, with some receiving their papers almost an hour after the exam was supposed to begin. There are also claims that some answer sheets were torn, raising concerns about cheating.
Despite these claims, Bihar's authorities have rejected calls to cancel the exam. Rajesh Kumar Singh, the BPSC Examination Controller, said on Friday that there was "no question of cancelling the entire BPSC exam."
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He explained that the preliminary exam at the Bapu Pariksha Parisar centre was only cancelled because of disruptions caused by protesters. Singh also accused private coaching institutes of being behind the protests and dismissed the calls for cancellation as unfounded.
The protests continue, with support from leaders such as Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader and former Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav. Yadav met with the protesters at Gardani Bagh, showing his solidarity and writing a letter to Chief Minister Nitish Kumar demanding the exam be cancelled.
Similar statements have come from Congress leader Akhilesh Prasad Singh and Independent MP Pappu Yadav, both of whom are part of the INDIA alliance.
Also Read: BPSC defends December 13 exam as students rage in protest
Prashant Kishor has also criticised the state government's response to the protests. He accused the Nitish Kumar administration of using force to suppress dissent, saying, "In Bihar, democracy has been replaced by force."
He added, "If people are expressing their views peacefully, there is no reason for lathi charges. The government must listen to the students."
The protests have gained more attention, with social media influencers and educators joining the cause. YouTube educator Faizal Khan, known as Khan Sir, also joined the protesters on Friday, chanting slogans with them.
Khan, who has supported the students, said, "We are not afraid of tough exams, but the questions must be fair and should not insult our intelligence."
The protesters are demanding that the entire exam be cancelled, believing that the alleged problems affected all candidates across the state, not just those at one exam centre. They are calling for a fair and level playing field for all.
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