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 Bihar Public Service Commission.
Kumar's "reluctance to communicate with students who were baton-charged by the police and slapped by Patna district magistrate" 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 examination starts. 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 the Patna DM 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 Bapu examination 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 examination 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.
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, Yadav said, asking “It was highly condemnable. Why question papers were distributed almost an hour after the scheduled time? This is sheer injustice with the students”.
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