‘Nitish’s B-team’: Tejashwi Yadav slams Prashant Kishor's party, claims protesting BPSC aspirants' were ‘misled’

Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Tejashwi Yadav, in a veiled attack on the Jan Suraaj Party, accused the newly-formed outfit by Prashant Kishor of functioning as the ‘B team’ of Nitish Kumar's ruling alliance in Bihar.

Hours after police used water cannons to disperse students protesting the recent BPSC exam, the former deputy chief minister, in a video message late on Sunday, said the protesters had been “misled” into marching towards Gandhi Maidan, likely referring to the IPAC founder and his party.

“This movement was started by students. The nearly two week-long dharna at Gardani Bagh, where I also had gone recently, had caused the government to tremble. At this moment, came some elements acting as the government's B team,” alleged Yadav, who is now the leader of the opposition in Bihar

Read: Bihar civil service aspirants seek re-exam, face lathi-charge; FIR against Prashant Kishor

“The protesters were misled into marching towards Gandhi Maidan, despite warnings from the administration against doing so. And, when the time to face lathi charge and water cannons came, those who had offered to lead the protests, chose to run away,” he said.

Although Prashant Kishor was not present when the police used force, he had addressed the protesters earlier on Sunday with his supporters.

This prompted an FIR to be filed against Kishor, Jan Suraaj Party president Manoj Bharti, and several others.

The protesters, who were joined by Prashant Kishor earlier on Sunday at Gandhi Maidan, attempted to march towards the chief minister's residence in the evening, leading to police action, Patna District Magistrate Chandrashekhar Singh said.

Yadav promised that his party would leverage its influence to “politically” support the protesters' demand for the cancellation of the Combined Competitive Exams held on December 13, which saw five lakh candidates appearing at over 900 centres across the state.

“But you must not get swayed by empty promises. Stick to your guns. January 4 is still a few days away. There is time enough to bring the government to its knees. It is nonsensical to say the BPSC does not come under the government. Its chairman is an appointee of the chief minister, who also happens to hold the Home portfolio, the department which controls the police,” said Yadav.

The BPSC has announced a re-examination for over 10,000 candidates assigned to Bapu Pariksha Parisar, an exam centre in the city, where hundreds had boycotted the tests, claiming that the question papers were “leaked.”

The BPSC has rejected the allegations, stating that the disruption of the test was part of a "conspiracy" aimed at getting the exam cancelled.

With PTI inputs