Tensions gripped Patna on Monday as a clash erupted between police and supporters of Jan Suraaj chief Prashant Kishor near the Gandhi Maidan area. The confrontation came after Kishor was detained during his indefinite hunger strike, which demanded action against the alleged Bihar Public Service Commission (BPSC) exam paper leak.
The arrest of the political strategist-turned-activist sparked widespread protests and condemnation. Kishor’s supporters accused the government of attempting to suppress his movement, which they claimed had galvanized the masses in Bihar.
“Prashant Kishor was fighting for the people of Bihar, for the students. The government is afraid of this unity,” said one of his supporters, expressing outrage over the detention.
Another supporter described the government’s actions as an attack on democracy, emphasizing that Kishor had adhered strictly to the principles of “Satyagraha” during his protest. “He did not do anything illegal. He sat in one place and did Satyagraha. The government is scared because of him,” they added.
The situation escalated further as accounts of alleged police aggression surfaced. “The spectacles of Prashant Kishor were thrown when he was being detained. When I went to pick them up, I was injured, and they abused me,” said another supporter.
Patna Police later cleared the protest site at Gandhi Maidan, which had become the focal point of Kishor’s hunger strike. Vehicle checks were conducted around the area to ensure security, but supporters alleged that the government had gone too far in silencing dissent. “We don’t know where he has been taken. We are asking, but no one is telling us,” one of them remarked, highlighting the chaos surrounding Kishor’s detention.