BPSC protests: Prashant Kishor 'forcibly removed' from Patna's Gandhi Maidan, taken to AIIMS

Patna Police detained Jan Suraaj Party (JSP) chief Prashant Kishor in an early morning crackdown on Monday. Kishor was sitting a hunger strike since Thursday to press for the cancellation of the integrated 70th combined (preliminary) competitive test conducted by the Bihar Public Service Commission (BPSC) on December 13. 

Kishor was "forcibly removed" from Patna's Gandhi Maidan and taken to AIIMS in an ambulance, India Today reported citing sources. According to a viral video, senior Patna Police officials removed Kishor from the spot amid "Vande Mataram" chants from his supporters. 

Previously, the district administration filed an FIR against the JSP chief and his around 150 supporters, asserting the protest at Gandhi Maidan was illegal. 

As per Patna District Magistrate Chandrashekhar Singh, "no dharna can be allowed at a spot other than the designated place in Gardan Bagh."

Kishor on Sunday sought the support of Congress MP Rahul Gandhi and Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) MLA Tejashwi Yadav. He said that the protest was "above party politics". 

"These leaders are much bigger than us. They can get 5 lakh people to gather at the Gandhi Maidan... this is the time to do so. The future of the youth is at stake. We are faced with a brutal regime which has ordered lathi charges 87 times in just 3 years," Kishor said. 

He further said that he did not expect BJP leaders to join the protest, claiming they lacked the courage to speak against their own government. He, however, mentioned that any BJP leader who decides to join the protest "guided by conscience" would be welcomed. 

The integrated 70th combined (preliminary) competitive test held on December 13 has been at the centre of a storm over allegations of paper leak, which has been denied by the BPSC. 

Following this, a fresh test was ordered for 12,000 candidates, who appeared for the exam on Saturday. As per a BPSC release, only 5,943 candidates appeared for the exam.