BPSC row : Students clash with police in Patna, several cops injured
Several policemen were injured in stone-pelting during a student protest march in Patna on Tuesday, prompting police to use a baton charge to disperse the protesters, officials said.
A large number of Bihar Public Service Commission (BPSC) job aspirants and other students had marched from Gandhi Maidan towards the chief minister's residence, demanding cancellation of the 70th BPSC examination and changes to the recruitment process.
The protesters reached Dak Bungalow crossing, where police had put up barricades to stop them. Several people were detained as the protesters tried to move ahead.
Police used water cannons after the students broke through the barricades. The protesters did not immediately disperse and some turned the water cannon into what officials described as a "rain dance".
The situation escalated when some protesters allegedly pelted police personnel with stones, injuring several policemen. Police then resorted to a baton charge to disperse the crowd.
Heavy police deployment has been maintained at major intersections across Patna. Additional Central Reserve Police Force and Rapid Action Force personnel were deployed at Dak Bungalow crossing.
What are the students demanding?
The protest is part of a weeks-long agitation by students at Patna's Gardanibagh.
The protesters are demanding cancellation of the 70th BPSC examination, citing alleged irregularities. They are also seeking a single-tier examination for the fourth phase of the Bihar Teacher Recruitment Examination (TRE-4), greater transparency in recruitment examinations conducted by the Bihar Staff Selection Commission and fair opportunities for Hindi-medium candidates.
The agitation has continued even after the BPSC released the TRE-4 schedule last week. Aspirants said the announcement did not address their demand for a single-tier examination and other concerns. The recruitment drive is expected to cover more than 32,000 teaching vacancies.
The protests have also gained political support. RJD leader and Bihar Assembly Leader of Opposition Tejashwi Yadav has backed the agitation, citing concerns over paper leaks, unemployment and examination irregularities.
Farmers join the march
A group of farmers protesting the government's new township policy also joined the students' march. They carried posters opposing land acquisition.
The farmers are protesting the proposed Pataliputra Greenfield Satellite Township, a planned urban expansion project aimed at developing Patna as an economic hub.
The latest confrontation comes a day after Bihar government ordered the suspension of BPSC examination controller Rajesh Kumar Singh over a controversial remark made amid the student protests.
(Inpiuts from PTI)