BPSC exam row: MP Pappu Yadav’s supporters stage rail blockade in Patna

Supporters of independent MP Rajesh Ranjan alias Pappu Yadav on Friday held a rail blockade at a station here to press their demand for cancellation of the recent Bihar PSC exam, police said.

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They gathered at the Sachiwalay Halt Railway Station and squatted on the tracks for a brief period, which caused a delay in the movement of trains, an official said.

“Protesters stopped the Buxar-Fatuha passenger train at Sachivalaya Halt Station around 9 am on Friday. The train was stopped for 20 minutes and after that, it left the station,” East Central Railway chief public relation officer Sarswati Chandra said.

Jan Suraaj founder Prashant Kishor has been on fast unto death since Thursday to press the demand for the cancellation of the 70^th Combined Competitive Examination conducted by the Bihar Public Service Commission (BPSC) on December 13.

Kishor’s protest site was barely a couple of kilometres from Gardani Bagh where civil service aspirants have been holding a round-the-clock sit-in for nearly two weeks.

The administration said the fast unto death at Gandhi Maidan is “illegal as it is not the designated site for holding protests”, an official said.

The district police on Thursday registered an FIR against Kishor and others for the demonstration at the restricted site.

“My primary demand, of course, is the cancellation of the exam held on December 13 and conducting a fresh test. I have also heard of allegations that posts to be filled by the exam were virtually put on sale. Such corrupt officials must be identified and brought to justice,” Kishor said on Thursday, who was accompanied by many supporters.

The CPI (ML) Liberation also announced that its students’ wing AISA, along with like-minded organisations, would stage a demonstration in front of the CM’s residence during the day “to compel Nitish Kumar to break his silence” on the issue.

Notably, more than five lakh candidates had appeared for the December 13 exam.

Hundreds of candidates at Bapu Pariksha Parisar centre here boycotted the test, alleging that the question paper was leaked.

The BPSC termed the allegation as a conspiracy, though a fresh test was ordered for more than 10,000 candidates who had appeared for the exam at the Bapu Pariksha Parisar centre.

These candidates have been asked to appear on January 4 at 22 newly designated centres across the city.