A heated exchange broke out between political strategist-turned-politician Prashant Kishore and protesting students demanding cancellation of the Bihar civil service examination. The students asked Prashant Kishore to step back from the protest site at Patna’s Gardanibagh, accusing him of being absent during lathicharge by Bihar Police on Sunday night.

Prashant Kishor, who had voiced support for the students, was met with slogans of Prashant Kishor, go back, upon his arrival at the protest site, leading to heated exchanges with student leaders. Tensions further escalated when Kishor remarked that they take blankets from them and then show attitude.

This statement angered the protesters, who were already upset over a police lathicharge that took place earlier in the night and Kishor’s absence during the incident, and asked him where he was during the lathicharge?

Earlier on Friday, Jan Suraj chief Prashant Kishore had given an ultimatum to the Bihar government, saying that the demands of the protesting BPSC aspirants should be addressed within three days, or he would lead protests himself. Furthermore, on Sunday, Prashant Kishor expressed his support for the protesting candidates, calling for an end to the corruption in Bihar’s examinations.

Several aspirants protested at Gandhi Maidan on Sunday, seeking re-examination of the 70th BPSC preliminary examination and a meeting with Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar. The protest, which began on December 13, the day of the examination, has won the backing of several major politicians, educationists and activists.

The Jan Suraj chief addressed a press conference on Monday, hours after being asked to leave the protest site by angered BPSC aspirants upset over his absence during the lathicharge. He refuted the allegations and presented a detailed account of events, stressing his continuous support for the students’ cause.

He also claimed that the students themselves were leading the movement, as decided during the Chhatra Sansad (Student Parliament). He asserted that a prior permission for the event was unnecessary, contrary to the administration’s claim that it was unauthorised. He added that the march was peacefully organized to submit a memorandum to the government, but they were stopped at JP Golambar, where an agreement to meet the Chief Secretary was reached.

Prashant Kishor said that he left the site after advising students to disperse, only for the lathicharge to occur 45 minutes later. He also condemned the police action and announced plans to file an FIR against Patna Police, take the matter to court, and approach the Human Rights Commission. He further warned that if no resolution is reached during the delegation meeting, he would join the protest himself starting January 2. Reacting to allegations by RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav, Kishor dismissed the claims, stating he had not abandoned the students but had acted in their best interest.

Meanwhile, the Bihar Police has filed a case against Prashant Kishor and others for allegedly instigating the students protest being held by the BPSC aspirants. The Police said that Prashant Kishor and other members of his party provoked the candidates, prompting them to take to the streets and create disturbances in different parts of the city.

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convenor and former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Monday announced a new scheme that offers a monthly honorarium of Rs 18,000 to Hindu and Sikh priests. Arvind Kejriwal said that the registration of the Pujari Granthi Samman Yojana will begin on Tuesday. This announcement comes amid a huge row over a scheme that promises a monthly stipend to unemployed women.

Addressing a press conference, the former Delhi Chief Minister said that today he is making an important announcement regarding a scheme. He mentioned that the name of the scheme is Pujari Granthi Samman Yojana. He continued that under this scheme, there is a provision to give an honorarium to the priests of temples and the granthis of the Gurudwara, adding that they will be given an honorarium of about Rs 18,000 per month. 

He pointed out that this is happening for the first time in the country. He added that the priest is a class that has carried forward the rituals from generation to generation, who never paid attention to their family and the governments never paid attention to them. Arvind Kejriwal said he would kickstart the scheme after visiting the Hanuman Temple in Delhi’s Connaught Place tomorrow.

Earlier, the AAP national convenor launched the Mahila Samman scheme which offered a stipend of Rs 2100 per month to unemployed women. The AAP leaders started a registration drive for the scheme. Nonetheless, the next day, the government’s women and child development (WCD) department advertised that the Mahila Samman scheme was non-existent and urged residents not to share personal data.

Later, the AAP claimed the officers involved in the fiasco were under BJP’s pressure. They also vowed action against them. Meanwhile, the BJP alleged fraud and claimed that AAP and the Delhi government weren’t on the same page.

Delhi Lt Governor V K Saxena also ordered an inquiry against private persons allegedly collecting personal details of women in the name of enrolling them for the proposed scheme of the ruling AAP in Delhi. V K Saxena ordered the inquiry based on a complaint by Congress leader and party’s New Delhi Assembly seat candidate Sandeep Dikshit.

Additionally, the Delhi Police has formed multiple teams to identify camps which are allegedly gathering personal details of women in the name of Mahila Samman Yojana. 

Jan Suraaj chief Prashant Kishore expressed his support for the students protesting against the Bihar Public Service Commission (BPSC) examination and criticised the Bihar government for its treatment of the protesters. He accused the government of converting democracy into what he termed “lathi-tantra,” highlighting the importance of students’ rights to protest in public spaces.

BPSC aspirants continue their demonstrations at Gandhi Maidan in Patna, where Gaurav Kumar, the Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM), also arrived to observe the situation as students demand a re-examination for the 70th BPSC prelims.

Kishore addressed the media, stating, “We are not here to protest. The students are gathered, and we are here to meet them. Gandhi Maidan is a public area frequented by people daily. If the students have no other place, they will gravitate towards a public venue. I do not understand why the government has made this an issue of its prestige, as it only causes them harm.”

He further remarked, “Bihar is revered as the mother of democracy, and if students are denied the right to express their opinions, it reflects a shift towards ‘lathi-tantra’… This is why we stand with the students.”

On a related note, earlier on Saturday, Delhi Police detained members of the Students’ Federation of India (SFI) who protested outside Bihar Bhawan against the police’s harsh response to BPSC aspirants in Patna. The protesting students are demanding the cancellation of the Integrated Combined (Preliminary) Competitive Examination (CCE) 2024 conducted by the BPSC on December 13.

Earlier, the Congress party has also condemned the police’s treatment of the job aspirants, while Independent MP from Purnea, Rajesh Ranjan, also known as Pappu Yadav, threatened a Bihar bandh on January 1, 2025, if the December 13 exam is not canceled.

“I had said in Parliament that in the same way that Eklavya’s thumb was cut off, in the same way the thumbs of the youth are cut off by leaking the papers,” Gandhi said in a post on December 26 on X.

Sharing the video of the police brutality, Gandhi said, “This is extremely shameful and reprehensible. Playing with the future of students will not be tolerated. We are with them and will fight to get them justice.”

 “The latest example of this is Bihar. BPSC candidates are raising their voices against the paper leak and demanding cancellation of the exam. But to hide its failure, the NDA government is instead resorting to lathi-charge on the students,” the Congress leader said.

Chaos ensued during a protest on Wednesday regarding the alleged leak of a question paper for the December 13 combined preliminary exam organized by the BPSC, leading to a baton charge by state police on job aspirants. Protesters alleged that multiple participants were injured during the police action, a claim that was refuted by a senior police officer.