Jan Suraaj files complaint with EC against Patna police for illegally detaining party supporters

Jan Suraaj founder Prashant Kishor on Sunday said his party has filed a complaint with the Election Commission of India against Patna police for “illegally detaining” his party leaders and supporters during the Bankipur assembly byelection, allegedly at the behest of the BJP.

Kishor alleged that 54 people, including a significant number of locals, were detained by the police in two days leading up to the commencement of voting on Thursday.

“Patna SSP falsely claimed that the police detained outsiders during the 48-hour silence period ahead of the voting day to maintain law and order. We have filed a complaint with the ECI, and presented evidence that many of the detainees were locals. They also did not violate Section 144 of CrPC (now Section 163 of the BNSS),” Kishor said while speaking at a press conference here.

Kishor was accompanied by at least three such local individuals who, or their family members, were detained by police at night from their homes. They, too, shared the stories of their detention at the press conference.

“More than 18 individuals of the 54 detained were local residents of Bankipur. They were not creating disturbance or violating Section 144. How can a person sleeping at home at night disturb law and order?” he asked.

Describing Patna SSP Kartikeya K Sharma as “incompetent, motivated and foolish”, Kishor alleged that he (SSP) tried to influence votes by acting in a biased manner.

“If the SSP wants to do politics, he should first resign from his post. Everyone has the freedom to do politics in a democracy, but not while sitting on an administrative chair. The incompetent, motivated and foolish man is trying to influence politics, but we are not going to be scared of him,” the Jan Suraaj founder said.

He claimed that on his party’s request, Bihar DGP and his subordinates assured that “there will be no role of Patna SSP in the counting areas on Monday”.

Kishor contested the Bankipur byelection, where polling was held on July 30. The counting of votes will take place on August 3.

Kishor said while 54 of his party members and supporters were detained, no detention of people from the BJP was made.

“The fact is that BJP people were leading from the front, and whoever they pointed out to, the police were detaining them. This naked dance of police administration has shamed democracy. Never in Nitish Kumar’s 20-year-rule was such a situation created,” he said.

The Jan Suraaj leader said that apart from the ECI, the complaint was submitted to the general observer and police observer as well.

“In the next two days, I will complain against the SSP and police in Delhi’s Election Commission. If that does not work, we will go to court. But in Bihar, such a thing will not be allowed to happen,” he said.

Nawal Kishor Gupta, a resident of Mandiri area in Patna, claimed that he was picked up by police, which came in large numbers and did not specify his crime, at 2 am on Thursday while he was sleeping with his family.

He alleged that police seemingly tried to stop him from voting through detention but allowed him to vote at 5 pm.

Nibha Bhushan, a Jan Suraaj supporter, said she was helping elderly people to go to the booths and cast their votes, but unauthorised people entered her residence and threatened her.

“I have been living in ward number 22 for the last 50 years. When I returned home after taking elderly people to polling booths, I found 2-4 boys, associated with BJP, in my house. They started smiling at me. I asked an official how come unauthorised people entered my house. He cautioned me to leave if I was an outsider; otherwise I would be caught,” she said.

Sanjeev Kumar Chandravanshi, a resident of ward number 36 in Bankipur, said he, too, was detained by police for hours, and then released.