Patna Police Use Lathi-Charge and Water Cannons to Break Up BPSC Protest

Patna, Dec 30 (NationPress) The protests in Patna against the Bihar Public Service Commission (BPSC) reached a boiling point on Sunday when Patna Police resorted to lathi-charge and utilized water cannons to break up a large gathering of candidates.

The demonstrators were calling for the cancellation of the entire 70th BPSC Combined PT Examination, which took place on December 13, citing claims of extensive irregularities. They occupied the roadway near Gandhi Maidan, resisting police attempts to clear the area.

As tensions rose, authorities deployed water cannons to disperse the students, but when this tactic proved ineffective, they resorted to a lathi-charge.

The situation quickly deteriorated into chaos; students reported being subjected to tear gas and physical violence, with some forcibly removed from the streets. Reports indicated that female candidates were among those mishandled during the altercation.

One protester, Mohammad Gulzar from Begusarai, lost consciousness during the protest and was promptly transported to Patna Medical College and Hospital (PMCH) for medical attention.

Those detained alleged that the authorities labeled them as miscreants, despite asserting that their demonstration was peaceful.

The students gathered in significant numbers, even though the district administration had denied them permission to assemble in the vicinity of Gandhi Maidan. They organized a sit-in protest in front of Bapu’s statue and held a Chhatra Sansad to present their demands peacefully.

By evening, candidates, accompanied by Jan Suraj Party leader Prashant Kishor, attempted to march toward the Chief Minister’s residence. However, police set up barricades near JP Golambar, preventing their advance, prompting Kishor and the students to sit in protest.

This action led to significant traffic congestion in the area, further heightening tensions.

The police's refusal to permit the march resulted in the students continuing their sit-in, with Kishor walking and standing in solidarity.

As the protests disrupted city traffic, police indicated the possibility of filing FIRs against the demonstrators.

These protests, now in their tenth day, are primarily fueled by allegations of a paper leak at the Bapu exam center.

While the BPSC conducted a re-examination at that center, they maintain that the irregularities were isolated and do not warrant the cancellation of the entire examination.

On Friday, BPSC Examination Controller Rajesh Kumar Singh reaffirmed the commission's stance, declaring that the 70th CCE exam would not be annulled under any circumstances.

He confirmed that the main examination is set to proceed as scheduled in April and urged candidates to concentrate on their preparations instead of continuing to protest.

Singh also emphasized that the examination was conducted with transparency, noting that only a small faction of candidates were protesting, lacking substantial evidence for their claims.

Meanwhile, the Bihar Public Service Commission (BPSC) had previously announced the issuance of admit cards for the 70th Integrated Combined Competitive (Preliminary) Examination (CCE) 2024 re-exam.

The re-examination is scheduled for January 4, 2024, and will apply only to approximately 12,000 candidates who appeared at the Bapu Campus Exam Centre in Patna on December 13, 2024.