 "Video: Prashant Kishor forcibly removed from BPSC protest site in Patna")
Jan Suraaj founder Prashant Kishor was detained by police early on Monday (January 6) morning after a confrontation at Gandhi Maidan, where he had been on a fast unto death to demand the cancellation of the Bihar Public Service Commission (BPSC) exam. Kishor had been protesting since January 2, expressing solidarity with civil service aspirants who criticised the BPSC’s December 13 examination, which was mired in allegations of a question paper leak.
Kishor resisted the police’s attempt to remove him from the site, which led to a tense situation following which he was detained. A video of the incident quickly spread across social media, showing Kishor being purportedly manhandled by a cop. According to his supporters, Kishor was subsequently taken to Patna AIIMS for a medical examination.
In response to the incident, Patna's district magistrate Chandrashekhar Singh confirmed that Kishor and his supporters were arrested due to their "illegal" protest at a restricted area near the Mahatma Gandhi statue. Singh also stated that Kishor would be presented before a court.
BPSC Protest: Case background
Prashant Kishor’s hunger strike was in support of those who had called for the cancellation of the December BPSC exam. While the BPSC did order a retest for a select group of candidates affected by the alleged leak, Kishor and his supporters demanded a complete cancellation. The retest took place on January 4 across 22 centres in Patna, with over 5,900 candidates participating. The exam was reported to have been conducted without any incidents of misconduct.