‘You take blankets from us and then show us attitude’: Heated exchange between Prashant Kishor and BPSC aspirants

A heated exchange broke out between students and political strategist-turned-politician Prashant Kishor on Sunday night in Patna, as he was accused of being absent during police action against the protesters.

Police used lathi-charge against the Bihar Bihar Public Service Commission (BPSC) aspirants and later the protesters directed their anger at Kishor, who had supported their cause.

At Patna's Gardanibagh, the aspirants demanded that Kishor step away, accusing him of being absent when police used water cannons and batons against them.

Upon his arrival, Kishor was met with chants of “Prashant Kishor, go back,” leading to a heated argument with student leaders. The situation escalated when he remarked, “You take blankets from us and then show us attitude,” as reported by India Today.

His statement angered the protesters, who were already upset about the police lathicharge and Kishor’s absence. They asked, “Where was Prashant Kishor during the lathicharge?”

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

Thousands of aspirants protested at Gandhi Maidan on Sunday, demanding a re-examination of the 70th BPSC preliminary exam and a meeting with Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar. The protest, which began on December 13, the day of the exam, has gained support from key politicians, educationists, and activists.

Following his eviction from the protest site by agitated BPSC aspirants, who were upset over his absence during the lathicharge, Prashant Kishor addressed a press conference on Monday.

He refuted the allegations and provided a detailed account of the events, reaffirming his continued support for the students' cause. Kishor also clarified that the students were leading the movement, as decided during the ‘Chhatra Sansad’ (Student Parliament).

Kishor explained that he left the protest site after advising students to disperse, with the lathicharge occurring 45 minutes later. He condemned the police action and announced plans to file an FIR against Patna Police, take the matter to court, and approach the Human Rights Commission.

Kishor also warned that if no resolution is reached in the delegation meeting, he would join the protest starting January 2. In response to accusations from RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav, Kishor denied abandoning the students, asserting that he had acted in their best interest.