Jan Suraaj chief Prashant Kishor with others during an
indefinite hunger strike demanding the cancellation of the 70th Integrated
Combined Competitive (Preliminary) Examination (CCE), 2024, conducted by the
BPSC, over allegations of question paper leak, near Mahatma Gandhi statue in
Patna, Thursday, Jan. 2, 2025. (PTI Photo)
PATNA —
Upping the ante, Jan Suraaj founder Prashant Kishor on Thursday began a fast
unto death to press the demand for cancellation of an examination recently held
by Bihar Public Service Commission (BPSC).
Kishor made the announcement at the historic Gandhi Maidan
in the state capital, three days after giving a "48-hour ultimatum"
to the Nitish Kumar government for acting on the demand, raised by aggrieved
candidates.
"My primary demand, of course, is cancellation of the
exam held on December 13 and conducting a fresh test. I have also heard
allegations that posts to be filled by the exam were virtually put on sale.
Such corrupt officials must be identified and brought to justice", said
Kishor, who was accompanied by a number of supporters.
The venue was barely a couple of kilometres from Gardani
Bagh where the aggrieved aspirants have been holding a round-the-clock sit-in
for nearly two weeks.
The 47-year-old former poll strategist, who hopes his
fledgling party to make a big impact in assembly polls due in less than a year,
also made it clear that the demands he is making were just a few of the things
on which he expected the government to act.
Striking a populist note, the former JD(U) vice president
said he wanted the state’s NDA government to "bring in a domicile policy,
reserving two thirds of government vacancies for candidates from the
state".
He added: "The injustice done to the state's youth by
the current regime goes long back. Before his ascent to power, the chief
minister (Nitish Kumar) had toured the state and promised unemployment doles.
Not a single person has got the benefit even after 20 years. The government
must start giving unemployment allowance".
Kishor also demanded a white paper on several competitive
exams held in the last 10 years which were marred by question paper leaks and
claimed that the government demonstrated its inability to crack down on the
education mafia suspected to be behind the malpractices.
The Jan Suraaj leader’s aggressive stance comes in the wake
of scorn heaped on him by political both ruling and opposition leaders in the
state, after a demonstration he staged on Sunday ended in lathi charge and use
of water cannons by police.
Referring to the police action, Kishor said, "Officials
who have converted democracy into the rule by force must be booked".
Notably, nearly five lakh candidates had appeared for
Combined Competitive Exams held on December 13 when hundreds of examinees, all
of them at the Bapu Pariksha Parisar here, boycotted the tests alleging
question papers had been leaked.
This was met with a strong denial from the BPSC, which
claimed the allegations were "a conspiracy" to force the exam's
cancellation, even as fresh tests were ordered for more than 10,000 candidates
who had appeared at Bapu Pariksha Parisar.
The candidates have been asked to appear on January 4 at 22
newly designated centres across the city.
This has been resented by some of the candidates who hold
that such an arrangement militated against the principle of ensuring
"level playing field".
On Monday, an 11-member delegation, of which Kishor's party
colleague and retired IPS officer RK Mishra was a part, had met Chief Secretary
Amrit Lal Meena, in what appeared to be the government's gesture to end the
stalemate.
The government has also been maintaining that any decision
in the matter would have to be taken by the BPSC, an autonomous body.
However, a recent statement from senior minister Vijay Kumar
Chaudhary, a key aide of the chief minister, that there was "no
evidence" to show that question papers were leaked on December 13, made
amply clear that the government was unwilling to intervene in a manner that
would satisfy the protesting candidates.
