BPSC Protests In Bihar: Patna Police Detains Jan Suraaj Party Founder Prashant Kishor Amid Fast Unto Death

Poll strategist turned politician Prashant Kishor, the founder of the Jan Suraaj Party, was arrested by Bihar police on Monday (6 January) morning while on an indefinite hunger strike at Gandhi Maidan in Patna.

Kishor was "forcibly" taken to AIIMS in an ambulance and has been isolated from everyone, NDTV reported citing sources.

Kishor has reportedly refused treatment and will continue his fast unto death.

A video shared by news agency ANI shows a large team of Patna police attempting to remove Kishor from the protest site as his fellow demonstrators tried to resist.

Other protesters were also removed from the location by the police.

Kishor, who has entered into politics full-time, has been on an indefinite strike since 2 January in support of the protesting students to press the demand for the cancellation of the integrated 70th combined (preliminary) competitive test conducted by the Bihar Public Service Commission (BPSC).

The students are demanding the cancellation of the exam due to an alleged paper leak.

The controversial BPSC exam was conducted on 13 December.

Gandhi Maidan, the site of Kishor's protest, is located a few kilometers from another protest site where several candidates have been on a round-the-clock protest for over two weeks.

"I am with these students with all my might... Till this issue is resolved, I'll be sitting on a fast-unto death. The candidates are protesting in biting cold, braving baton charge by police and water cannons. The Chief Minister is away in Delhi, and having a good time. He did not utter a single word when reporters in the national capital approached him with queries on the stir," the Jan Suraaj party chief had said.

Kishor earlier announced that his party would file a petition in the Patna High Court on 7 January regarding the irregularities in the BPSC examination.

"It is not a matter of decision for us whether we will continue this (protest) or not. We will continue doing what we are doing now, there will be no change in it...We (Jan Suraaj Party) will file a petition in the High Court on the 7th," he said.

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