Police allegedly resorted to baton charge when chaos erupted in Patna during a protest march by job aspirants on Wednesday. Bihar Public Service Commission job aspirants were protesting an alleged leak of a question paper of the December 13 combined preliminary exams.

The job aspirants marched towards the BPSC office but alleged they were stopped after police resorted to violence.

Some of the job seekers have claimed that several protesters were injured during the police action but a senior officer denied the charge.

The Congress condemned the police action on job aspirants, while Independent MP from Purnea Rajesh Ranjan alias Pappu Yadav called for a Bihar bandh on January 1, 2025, if the December 13 combined preliminary examination is not cancelled.

The job aspirants have been demanding cancellation of the preliminary examination of the BPSC after a question paper leak of the December 13 exam and requested the commission to announce a fresh date for the test at the earliest.

Protesters alleged that question papers were leaked before the examination started at certain centres.

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A police officer told the media that a group of protesters marched towards the Bihar Public Service Commission's (BPSC) office to press their demands, and a confrontation between police personnel and the job seekers began after they were stopped.

Patna Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Rajeev Mishra told PTI, "A group of protestors, including job aspirants, gathered near the commission’s office on Bailey Road in the second half on Wednesday. They wanted to proceed towards the BPSC office, which the police did not allow. Some of them managed to reach the BPSC office and disrupted the movement of traffic.

"Despite repeated requests by the security personnel, they refused to vacate the road. It is a restricted area where protests are not allowed. Finally, mild force, including baton charge was used to disperse the protestors," he added.

The police have registered a case against protestors in connection with Wednesday’s incident.

The SSP also said, “All protesters were asked to organise their protest at Gardani Bagh, the dedicated place for dharna. It is learnt that they (protestors) called ambulances on their own and some of them got themselves admitted to the nearest government hospital. The police have no official information in this regard as no one was injured in the action."

"A girl in a purported video was verified with nearby hospitals and was found to have admitted herself to PMCH. According to the attending doctor, no visible injuries were observed. Additionally, an X-ray examination of her arm was conducted, which confirmed the absence of any fracture or injury," the police officer reportedly said.

Protesters claimed that several job seekers were injured in the baton charge, which the SSP denied.

SSP said, "As far as information we have, no protester sustained any injury. Mild force was used to disperse them."

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Video clips of the police action against job aspirants went viral on social media with some showing personnel chasing and beating up protesters, including women.

PTI reported that some of the protesters have alleged that they were "treated like terrorists" by the police.

"We were mercilessly beaten up by the police as if we are terrorists," said an anonymous protester told PTI.

Some women reached the Gardani Bagh protest site wearing bangles.

“We have brought bangles for the BPSC officials”, a woman protester told PTI.

Also Read | Bihar: BPSC Announces Fresh Exam Dates For Teacher Recruitment Examination Amid Paper Leak Row

Reacting to the baton charge by the police on job aspirants, the Independent MP from Purnea called for a Bihar bandh on January 1, if the December 13 combined preliminary exam is not cancelled.

"If the BPSC does not cancel its December 13 exam, we will call a Bihar bandh on January 1, 2025. I demand immediate cancellation of the December 13 exam….if it is not cancelled in a day or two, my supporters will call the bandh. Police baton charges on protesters are highly condemnable," Yadav said.

The Bihar Congress also condemned the police action on job aspirants on Wednesday.

Talking to reporters, Bihar Congress spokesperson Rajesh Rathore said, “The state government and the BPSC must accept students' demand. Our party condemn Wednesday's police action against them”.

BPSC chairman Parmar Ravi Manubhai on Tuesday ruled out the cancellation of the entire exam.

He, however, made it clear that BPSC would conduct a re-examination of candidates who appeared for the test at the Bapu Pariksha Parisar centre in Patna on December 13.

Manubhai announced that the re-examination would be held on January 4, 2025.

The BPSC recently cancelled its combined preliminary examination held at Bapu Pariksha Parisar in Patna's Kumhrar locality, where an on-duty official died of a heart attack after a ruckus was created by "unruly" candidates on December 13.

The commission also served show-cause notices to 34 aspirantsjpwinner gaming, who were allegedly part of the disruption created at Bapu Pariksha Parisar centre.