Patna: RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav has charged Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar with "maintaining silence" over alleged irregularities in a PSC examination, claiming that recent question paper "leaks" in such competitive tests were "state-sponsored".
In a video statement late on Friday, the leader of the opposition in the assembly also accused Kumar of "failing" to communicate with job aspirants who staged protests over the alleged paper leak in the 70th Integrated Combined Competitive Examination (CCE) 2024, conducted by the Bihar Public Service Commission. Kumar's "reluctance to communicate with students who were baton-charged by the police and slapped by an official of the Patna district" showed that the JD(U) supremo is a "tired man and unable to govern Bihar", Tejashwi claimed.
"This government has failed in conducting any examination in the state without paper leaks ...whether it is for class 10th, 12th, police constable recruitment exams or BPSC tests, questions papers are leaked before the examinations start. This government is least bothered about the welfare of students and youths," the RJD leader alleged. ''I must say that these question paper leaks are state-sponsored.
Why did the CM and two deputy CMs maintain silence over the issue? Those (aspirants) who protested against irregularities in the exam were baton-charged, slapped by an official of Patna and also sent to jail. It seems that bureaucrats are running the government in the state…This is not the government of the people," Yadav claimed. The youths of Bihar will "show a mirror to NDA leaders" in the 2025 assembly polls, he said.
"If we come to power after the 2025 assembly polls in the state, we will take care of students and youths. We will make arrangements for their (job aspirants) travel and stay during competitive exams. People are fed up with the NDA government in the state," the RJD leader alleged. Rumours of a leak of question paper of the Bihar Public Service Commission preliminary examination erupted at an examination centre on Friday, prompting the commission to warn of police action against those involved in the "conspiracy".
Around 300-400 aspirants boycotted BPSC's 70th Integrated Combined Competitive Examination (CCE) 2024 held at the Bapu examination centre at Kumhrar in Patna, alleging that the question paper was leaked on social media even before the examination started. Chaos had prevailed at the centre where an additional examination superintendent, identified as Ram Iqbal Singh, died of cardiac arrest and a female candidate fell unconscious on Friday.
Patna District Magistrate Chandrashekhar Singh reached the examination centre upon hearing about the commotion. A large crowd gathered outside the centre and news channels ran video footage of the DM slapping one of the unruly bystanders and ordering police personnel to round up all those who were indulging in mischief. The DM clarified, "It was never my intention to slap or hurt any aspirant There was a slight delay in the distribution of question booklets in one or two examination halls at the centre."
"An aspirant was slapped by an official in Patna on Friday when the former was protesting against the alleged delay in the distribution of the BPSC exam question paper. It was highly condemnable," Yadav claimed. He also asked, “Why question papers were distributed almost an hour after the scheduled time? This is sheer injustice with the students”. As far as the PSC preliminary examination, held on Friday, is concerned, BPSC chairman Parmar Ravi Manubhai claimed that the test was held in a free and fair manner in more than 900 centres, where close to five lakh candidates appeared.
"However, in one centre in Patna, some of the candidates snatched question papers from the invigilators and stormed out of the examination hall screaming that the paper had been leaked. "Snatching question papers from invigilators and showing those to outsiders is tantamount to looting public property. Police action will be initiated against those who seem to have acted as a part of a conspiracy... we are examining CCTV footage to identify them," he added.
The RJD leader accused the CM of spending Rs 104 crore for his publicity on social media in the name of the ‘Mahila-Samvad’ yatra which is scheduled to start on Sunday. He also alleged, "Rs 114 crore will be spent on snacks and other things during the CM’s yatra from the government treasury…this is organised just to improve the image of the state government and the CM."
