Patna: Jan Suraaj Party chief Prashant Kishor’s “fast unto death” in support of protesting students demanding the cancellation of the Bihar Civil Services (BPSC) exam entered its third day on Saturday, amidst chilly weather conditions. Kishor, who has been vocal about the alleged irregularities in the exam process, accused officials of selling more than half of the BPSC seats and alleged widespread corruption.
Speaking to news agencies, Kishor claimed, “The issue is of bigger corruption charges… it is that more than half of the seats are sold. The re-examination being held today is for 15,000 students. The protesting 3.50 lakh students did not get the opportunity to sit in the exam. It does not matter when you appear in the examination, it does not guarantee you a seat if you studied well… the seat is only given to those who gave the money to the corrupt people.”
Kishor went a step further, alleging that the post of Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) in Bihar is being sold for ₹1.5 crore. He claimed that these transactions were happening openly, with little to no government intervention. “The post of DSP is being sold out at ₹1.5 crore, people are openly doing that – the government is not commenting on it… the public’s action on this will definitely be seen after 5 years, like it was seen when Nitish Kumar got a low number of seats during the elections,” he said.
Asserting his commitment to the cause, Kishor made it clear that he would not end his hunger strike until the students’ demands were met. “There is no question of withdrawing my fast, not until the demands of the students are met. We suggested from our end that the CM should meet the students and together they should bring out a solution. If that happens then I have no problem stopping the fast,” he emphasized.
The ongoing protests are centered around the Integrated Combined (Preliminary) Competitive Examination (CCE) 2024, which was held by the Bihar Public Service Commission (BPSC) on December 13. Students are calling for the cancellation of the exam, citing alleged question paper leaks, and demanding transparency in the examination process.
