BPSC exam protests continue in Bihar, disrupting traffic and rail movement

Protests intensified on Friday over the demand for cancellation of the recent Bihar PSC exam, as agitators disrupted rail and vehicular movement in Patna, while police stopped a few Left-leading students' organisations from marching to the CM's residence.

A day ahead of fresh tests for a select group of candidates, Independent MP Pappu Yadav led his supporters in blocking rail and road traffic in several areas of Patna as well as other parts of the state, including Araria, Purnea and Muzaffarpur, officials said.

The protesters gathered at Sachiwalay Halt Railway Station and squatted on the tracks for a brief period, causing a delay in the train movement, they said.

 

Yadav's supporters also burnt tyres on roads in Purnea and Patna, the officials said.

"The agitators stopped the Buxar-Fatuha passenger train at Sachivalaya Halt Station around 9 am. The train was stopped for 20 minutes," East Central Railway Chief Public Relation Officer Sarswati Chandra told PTI.

Members of some Left-leaning students' organisations also clashed with police upon being stopped from marching towards the chief minister's residence in the state capital, the officials said.

Meanwhile, Jan Suraaj founder Prashant Kishor continued with his fast-unto-death that he began on Thursday to press the demand for cancellation of the 70th Combined Competitive Examination (CCE) conducted by the Bihar Public Service Commission (BPSC) on December 13.

Mocking Kishor, Yadav likened the former political strategist to well-known conman Natwar Lal'.

He is Natwar Lal', who sits on fast-unto-death in the evening after having lunch. Please don't talk about him, Yadav told reporters.

The Independent MP, along with his supporters, also took out a march from Sachiwalay Halt Railway Station to JP Golumber, where police stopped them from proceeding further.

"We know that the government is not going to listen to us right away. After all, the question papers were leaked in connivance with the high and the mighty. But, we must draw inspiration from the recent farmers' agitation and brace for a long fight, Yadav asserted.

The administration has termed Kishor's fast-unto-death at Gandhi Maidan "illegal, as it is not the designated site for holding such protests, an official said.

The district police had on Thursday registered an FIR against Kishor and others for the demonstration at the restricted site.

The Combined Competitive Examination held on December 13 has been in the eye of a storm over allegations of question paper leak, which has been denied by the BPSC, though a fresh test was ordered for more than 10,000 candidates, who had appeared for the exam at the Bapu Pariksha Parisar centre here.

These candidates have been asked to appear on January 4 at 22 newly designated centres across the city.

Several aspirants have been staging protests, demanding that fresh exams be held for all the five lakh candidates, who had appeared at more than 900 centres across the state, to ensure a "level-playing field".