Prashant Kishor to begin hunger strike today over BPSC aspirants’ concerns
New Delhi: Jan Suraaj Party founder Prashant Kishor is set to begin an indefinite hunger strike on Thursday, demanding that the concerns of Bihar Public Service Commission (BPSC) aspirants be addressed.
The move follows growing unrest among candidates protesting alleged irregularities in the 70th BPSC Preliminary Examination held on December 13.
Kishor had earlier issued a 48-hour ultimatum to the Bihar government, urging them to heed the demands of the protesting students, who are calling for the examination to be cancelled and conducted afresh. With no resolution in sight, Kishor announced plans for a sit-in protest starting January 2.
Speaking to the media, the Jan Suraaj chief expressed solidarity with the students, stating, “If injustice is done to the students, we will stand with them with full strength.”
The controversy stems from allegations that the examination questions were of substandard quality, comparable to police recruitment exams, and closely resembled model papers provided by coaching institutes. The examination was conducted for 2,031 vacancies, including 200 Sub-Divisional Magistrates (SDMs) and 136 Deputy Superintendents of Police (DSPs), making it one of the most significant recruitment drives in recent years.
Adding to the tension, police registered an FIR against 700 individuals, including Kishor, following protests at Gandhi Maidan in Patna on Sunday. The protest had earlier escalated into a lathi-charge incident, prompting Raj Bhavan to summon the Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) and the District Magistrate (DM) for an explanation.
BPSC Chairman Ravi Manu Bhai Parmar met Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar on Monday to discuss the issue but clarified that the examination would neither be cancelled nor reconducted.
Despite this stance, Kishor and the protesting aspirants remain firm in their demands, keeping the spotlight on the ongoing controversy.