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.