Patna: Hours after the Patna police resorted to lathi-charge and used water cannons on protesting BPSC aspirants, RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav on Monday accused the political analyst Prashant Kishor and his newly formed political outfit, Jan Suraaj, of acting as a ‘B-team’ of Nitish Kumar-led NDA in Bihar and misleading the students.
He said the protests and dharna by the aspirants that started at Gardanibagh lasted almost a fortnight, severely rattling the authorities. “At this critical juncture, certain groups acting as the govt’s B-team emerged. Despite administrative cautions, these people convinced the demonstrators to proceed towards the Gandhi Maidan in the state capital. However, when confronted with water cannons and police batons, these self-proclaimed protest leaders abandoned the protestors and fled the scene,” Tejashwi said without naming Kishor.
Tejashwi criticised the police’s use of force, particularly the lathi-charge against the student protesters. In a video message, he conveyed his solidarity with the students, describing the police’s action as “very painful”. He also highlighted the govt’s sluggish response, noting that his party brought up the matter in the assembly session on November 28, yet the state administration did not respond in time.
Meanwhile, addressing the reporters here on Monday, Kishor issued a warning that he would personally join the indefinite protest from January 2, if the delegation’s meeting with govt official fails to achieve a resolution.
“I have not come to do politics. In the last 2.5 years, I have not participated in any dharna or protest. Today, I stand with these students because I can understand their pain,” he said. Talking about the clash between police and the protesters, Kishor said the participants held a peaceful march with the intention of handing over a memorandum to the govt. “However, they were stopped at JP Golambar, where they successfully negotiated an arrangement to meet with the chief secretary,” he said.