Rahul Gandhi visits BPSC protest site in Patna, assures full support to students

PATNA: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Saturday threw his weight behind the protests against alleged irregularities in BPSC exams, by visiting the site of the nearly a month-old agitation here and spending several minutes with aggrieved students. After Gandhi winded up his pre-decided engagements, during which he also made a veiled reference to the protests with the remark "Bihar has been converted into a centre of paper leaks", a delegation of students called on him at a hotel.

The delegation urged him to visit Gardani Bagh where several aspirants have been on a round the clock protest seeking cancellation of Combined Competitive Exam held last month. Suman Saurabh, a student from Sitamarhi, who was part of the delegation, told PTI video, "We urged Rahul Gandhi to visit Gardani Bagh which is our 'dharmabhoomi' and 'karmabhoomi'. He said he will take some time off.

As the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, he is known to the entire nation and his support means a lot to us." Gandhi squatted in the midst of young men and women who have been carrying on their 'dharna' under a makeshift tent. He was seen patiently listening to the candidates who raised slogans "We want a re-exam" and also highlighted their anguish over the Nitish Kumar government in Bihar failing to give them a hearing.

City-based popular tutor 'Ramanshu sir', who has been lending his support to the protests, sat next to Gandhi and showed him on a mobile phone video clips of the lathi charge on students last month , when police had used water cannons besides charging with baton to disperse a crowd that had gathered at the historical Gandhi Maidan despite warnings to the contrary by the administration.

Rahul Gandhi to raise matter in Delhi

"The lathi charge reminded me of the British Raj, when those demanding freedom were tied to mortar shells and blown up. We apprised Rahul Gandhi of these happenings. He has assured us that he will raise the matter in Delhi, inside the Parliament, as well as on other platforms," the teacher said. Another protester, who could not reach close to Gandhi, could be heard screaming from afar.

When the former Congress president turned his gaze in that direction, the distraught youngster said, "We have been suffering untold hardships at the hands of the insensitive state government. On the date of exam, the Patna DM had slapped a student. The lathi charge has been spoken about. A few days ago, we suffered more humiliation at the hands of the state machinery."

"A group of students had decided to submit a memorandum to the chief minister, who has been unwilling to meet a delegation here despite repeated requests, while he was on a tour of Samastipur. Members of various students' bodies like AISA and NSUI were part of the group which was shoved like cattle by the police personnel who made sure that we could not reach the site of the CM," alleged the student.

Role of Bapu Pariksha Parisar

Notably, over four lakh candidates had appeared for the exams at more than 900 centres across the state on December 13 when hundreds boycotted the test alleging that question papers had been leaked. The BPSC denied the allegations but ordered re-examination for more than 12,000 candidates who had been assigned Bapu Pariksha Parisar in the city, evoking resentment among other aspirants who have contended that they were being deprived of a "level playing field".

Political players of various hues have lent their support to the demand for a re-examination. Jan Suraaj Party founder Prashant Kishor has extended legal help to candidates who have moved the Patna High Court seeking cancellation of the exams. He also ended two week long fast two days ago as it became clear that the chief minister was unmoved by his plea for a dialogue with the students.

RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav had visited Gardani Bagh last month and makes it a point to target the government over the BPSC issue in his interactions with the media.