Bihar: BPSC protest turns tense in Patna as students clash with police

Thousands of students clashed with Bihar Police in Patna on Tuesday while marching towards the chief minister’s residence to press their demands over examinations conducted by the Bihar Public Service Commission (BPSC).

The protesters, many of them aspirants for the Teachers’ Recruitment Exams scheduled to be conducted by the BPSC next month, had announced a ‘Mukhyamantri Awas Gherao’ to demand that the written examination be conducted in a single stage instead of being divided into preliminary and main examinations.

A section of the protesters also sought cancellation of the BPSC Combined Competitive Examination held earlier this year, alleging irregularities in the process.

The procession began at Gandhi Maidan, with Left-affiliated student and youth organisations, including SFI and DYFI, also joining the demonstration.

Police deployed heavy security along the nearly five-kilometre route leading towards the chief minister’s residence. Water cannons were used at J P Golambar after protesters attempted to move past barricades.

Despite the water cannons, protesters continued their march and broke through barricades, reaching Dak Bungalow crossing, one of Patna’s busiest intersections and an important route towards Patna Junction, the Patna High Court and the Income Tax Office.

Protesters pelt stones, police use force

The situation turned tense at Dak Bungalow crossing, where videos circulated on social media showing police personnel carrying out a lathi-charge as protesters threw stones at them.

One video showed a young police officer allegedly slapping a protester. Another showed a female protester lying by the roadside after apparently fainting. It was not immediately clear whether she had sustained an injury or collapsed because of dehydration amid the humid weather.

Several protesters were detained and taken to different locations by the police. The exact number of detainees and details of injuries were not immediately available.

The protesters were also angry over remarks allegedly made by BPSC examination controller Rakesh Kumar Singh on Monday.

Singh had used the Hindi proverb “Hathi chale bazaar, kutta bhunke hazaar” while referring to students who have been staging a protest at Gardani Bagh for several weeks.

The protesters said the BPSC should not only address their demands over the examination process but also take action against Singh, alleging that his remarks compared them to barking dogs.

BPSC official expresses regret

Singh's remarks triggered criticism from opposition leaders, including RJD working president Tejashwi Yadav.

The examination controller later issued a video statement expressing regret over the remarks and said he had only used a proverb without intending to offend the protesting students.

“I just used a proverb. It was not my intention to offend anybody,” Singh said.

The controversy over the remarks added to tensions surrounding the students' demands.

Left parties condemn police action

CPI(ML) Liberation, one of Bihar's prominent Left parties, condemned the police action against the protesters.

Party state secretary Kunal accused the state government of adopting an “anti-student stance” and demanded an immediate end to what he described as coercive action.

“The state government must immediately stop its coercive action and try to resolve the crisis by holding talks with the students and squarely addressing their grievances,” he said.

The party also demanded medical assistance for protesters injured during the lathi-charge.

The latest protest comes amid sustained agitation by BPSC aspirants over the commission's examination procedures and alleged irregularities. The students are seeking changes to the examination system and greater clarity from the commission over the conduct of upcoming recruitment tests.

The authorities have yet to announce the number of protesters detained or provide details of any injuries sustained during Tuesday's confrontation.