“Acting as the government's B team…”: Tejashwi Yadav Slams Prashant Kishor’s Jan Suraaj Party for “Misleading” BPSC Protesters

Rashtriya Janata Dal leader, Tejashwi Yadav accused the newly-formed Jan Suraaj Party, led by Prashant Kishor, of acting as the ‘B team’ of Bihar’s ruling alliance. His comments came after police used water cannons to disperse protesting Bihar Public Service Commission aspirants calling for a re-test of the 70th Combined Competitive Examination. The protest was triggered by allegations of a paper leak in the examination. Yadav, in a video message on Sunday night, claimed the students had been “misled” into marching toward Gandhi Maidan, referring to the Jan Suraaj Party and its leader.

“The movement was started by students. The nearly two-week-long dharna at Gardani Bagh, which I also visited recently, had made the government uneasy. At this point, some elements acting as the government's B team intervened,” Yadav, who now leads the opposition in Bihar, alleged. He further accused the Jan Suraaj Party of misdirecting the protesters, despite warnings from the administration. "The protesters were misled into marching towards Gandhi Maidan. When it came time to face lathi charges and water cannons, those who had offered to lead the protests chose to run away,” he said.

Although Prashant Kishor was not present when the police used force, he had addressed the protesters earlier in the day, leading to an FIR being filed against him, Jan Suraaj Party president Manoj Bharti, and several others.

The protestors had gathered at Gandhi Maidan with plans to march toward Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s residence in the evening, prompting police action. Patna District Magistrate Chandrashekhar Singh confirmed the unrest. Yadav, meanwhile, promised his party's support for the protesters' demands to cancel the Combined Competitive Examination held on December 13. He emphasized the significance of the exam, which saw around five lakh candidates at over 900 centers across the state.

The RJD leader urged the students not to be misled by false promises. “January 4 is still a few days away. There is enough time to bring the government to its knees. It is nonsensical to say the BPSC does not come under the government. Its chairman is appointed by the Chief Minister, who also controls the Home portfolio—the department that oversees the police,” said Tejashwi Yadav.

In response to the allegations, the BPSC announced a re-examination for over 10,000 candidates assigned to Bapu Pariksha Parisar, where hundreds had boycotted the exam, claiming a paper leak. However, the BPSC rejected the allegations, calling the disruption part of a "conspiracy" to cancel the exam.