Bihar students clash with police over BPSC exam
Thousands of students fought a pitched battle with the Bihar police on Tuesday, hurling stones and braving water cannons and lathi-charge, upon being prevented from marching to the Chief Minister residence to air their grievances.
The protesters, most of them aspirants for Teachers’ Recruitment Exams to be conducted by Bihar Public Service Commission (BPSC) next month, had announced a Mukhyamantri Awas gherao (CM residence gherao) to press the demand for holding the written exams in a single stage, instead of prelims followed by mains. A section of the protesters also demanded the cancellation of Combined Competitive Exams held by the BPSC earlier this year, alleging that the tests were marred by irregularities.
The protestors were joined by a number of activists associated with organisations like SFI and DYFI, in a procession that began at the historic Gandhi Maidan, which has witnessed many upheavals in the near and recent past.
Tight security arrangements were in place along the nearly 5 km stretch from Gandhi Maidan to the CM’s residence, and police used water cannons at JP Golambar, the starting point of the procession, only to behold the protesters break into a “rain dance”, in a stark reminder of the scenes witnessed last month when a ‘Raj Bhavan march’ was staged last month in support of the ‘Gen Z protests’ held at Jantar Mantar in Delhi.
“We repeatedly urged the crowd to maintain peace. We told them that we will help them send a delegation to authorities concerned to register their demands. Water cannons were used when the situation became tense,” Patna Senior Superintendent of Police Kartikeya Sharma said.
The protesters broke past the barricades to reach Dak Bungalow crossing, the city’s busiest thoroughfare that leads to the Patna Junction as well as vital installations like Patna High Court and the Income Tax Office.
Several protesters were detained and taken away to various locations by the police, though the number of such persons and other details were not known. Many of the protesters were also heard venting spleen against a remark by BPSC examination controller Rakesh Kumar Singh on Monday when he had allegedly belittled the agitators, who had been staging a dharna at Gardani Bagh for several weeks, by using the Hindi proverb Hathi chale bazaar, kutta bhunke hazaar (The elephant walks through the market while a thousand dogs bark).
The protesters said the BPSC must not only address their grievances with regard to the examination system but also act against the foul-mouthed examination controller, “who had likened them to barking dogs”.
Singh’s remarks had drawn sharp criticism from Opposition leaders like RJD working president Tejashwi Yadav and the examination controller issued a video statement voicing regret and asserting, “I just used a proverb. It was not my intention to offend anybody.”
