Why can't we protest in Gandhi Maidan?: Prashant Kishor after BPSC protesters told to shift venue

Prashant Kishor. File Pic

Jan Suraaj chief Prashant Kishor on Thursday said that there is nothing unlawful in holding a protest at Gandhi Maidan in Patna as he launched an indefinite hunger strike there demanding the cancellation of the Bihar Public Civil Services (BPSC) examination over the alleged paper leak incident. Kishor's reaction came as the Patna district administration wanted the protesters to vacate from Gandhi Maidan and shift the protests to the Gardanibagh area in the city.

"Who has permitted the farmers to protest in Delhi? If someone can protest on the streets in Delhi, why can't we protest in Gandhi Maidan? We are protesting peacefully," Kishor told ANI. Prashant Kishor launched an indefinite hunger strike on Thursday, demanding the cancellation of the Bihar Civil Services (BPSC) examination over the alleged paper leak incident and joined the aspirants of the BPSC in their protest at Gandhi Maidan.

"Students who were protesting peacefully were beaten up by the authorities...This is not the British Raj where the collector will issue an order and the public will salute," he added. Meanwhile, Gaurav Kumar, Patna Sub-Divisional Magistrate, warned of action against protesters if they don't vacate Gandhi Maidan.

"The Patna High Court had said in its judgment in 2015 that Gardanibagh is the only protest site in Patna...They have been given notice by the administration and told that protests can be held in the Gardanibagh area...They will be given time and then action will be taken against them," Gaurav Kumar told reporters. Kishore joined the aspirants of the BPSC in their protest at Gandhi Maidan on Thursday and criticized Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar for not meeting the students.

"This is against the egoistic government (of Bihar) whose leader CM Nitish Kumar did not consider meeting the students even when the students had agreed to withdraw the movement if the CM said that the exams couldn't be held... The students were beaten up by the authorities... There is only one way for people like us, Hence I am doing an indefinite hunger strike," he said.

The protesting students in Patna are demanding the cancellation of the Integrated Combined (Preliminary) Competitive Examination (CCE) 2024 conducted by the Bihar Public Service Commission (BPSC) on December 13. Earlier on Tuesday, Congress and Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist) (CPI-ML) leaders marched towards Raj Bhavan to meet the Governor over the BPSC issue. As the leader marched towards the Raj Bhawan, the police stopped them.

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