Jan Suraaj chief Prashant Kishor with others during his
indefinite hunger strike demanding the cancellation of the 70th Combined
Competitive Examination (CCE) 2024, conducted by the Bihar Public Service
Commission (BPSC), over allegations of question paper leak, in Patna, Sunday,
Jan. 5, 2025. (PTI Photo)
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- PATNA — Jan Suraaj Party founder
Prashant Kishor, who has been on a fast unto death to press the demand for
cancellation of a BPSC exam, on Sunday sought the support of Congress leader
Rahul Gandhi and former Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav.
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- Talking to reporters here on the fourth day of his 'Amran
anshan', Kishor also said he was ready to "follow" these leaders and
if they were averse to his presence, he was willing to "withdraw".
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- "I want to inform the people that this agitation is
non-political one and not being carried under the banner of my party. Last
night, the youngsters formed a 51-member forum called 'Yuva Satyagraha Samiti'
(YSS) which will steer this movement of which Prashant Kishor is just a part.
All are welcome to lend support be it Rahul Gandhi, who has 100 MPs and
Tejashwi Yadav who has more than 70 MLAs", Kishor said.
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- He added, "These leaders are much bigger than us. They
can get five lakh people to gather at the Gandhi Maidan…this is the time to do
so. The future of the youth is at stake. We are faced with a brutal regime
which has ordered lathi charge 87 times in just three years".
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- "Out of 51 members of the newly formed YSS, 42 decided
to continue this fight last night. All members of the YSS are part of different
political organisations. But all of them have now come under one umbrella to
unitedly fight for the cause of youth and students. The YSS is totally a
non-political forum. I am here to support them only….and this 'amran anshan'
will continue. Use of water cannons and lathi charge on protesting BPSC
aspirants in Patna on December 29 by the state police, was murder of
democracy", he said.
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- Often accused of being a B-team of the BJP, Kishor said,
"I don't think any BJP leader will have the courage to speak against the
very government of which party is a part, but if any of them comes forward
guided by conscience, he will be welcome. The state's youth often say that in
national elections, they vote for PM Narendra Modi and nobody else. But the
youth of Bihar have got nothing in return since Modi took over".
