RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav has accused Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar of “maintaining silence” over alleged irregularities in PSC exams, and claimed that the recent question paper “leak” in such competitive exams was “state sponsored”.
In a video statement late on Friday, the Leader of Opposition in the Assembly also accused Kumar of “failing” to communicate with job aspirants protesting against the alleged paper leak in the 70th Unified Combined Competitive Examination (CCE) 2024. Bihar Public Service Commission.
Kumar’s “unwillingness to interact with students lathi-charged by the police and slapped by a Patna district official” showed the JD(U) supremo was a “tired man and unable to govern Bihar”, claimed Tejashwi.
“This government has failed to conduct any exam in the state without leaking papers… Be it class 10th, 12th, constable recruitment exam or BPSC exam, the question papers are leaked before the exam even starts. This government is less concerned about the welfare of students and youth,” the RJD leader alleged.
“I must say that these paper leaks are state sponsored. Why are the Chief Minister and two Deputy Chief Ministers silent on this issue? (Candidates) who objected to examination irregularities were lathi-charged, slapped and even jailed by an officer in Patna. It seems that bureaucracy is running the government in the state, it is not the people’s government,’ claimed Yadav.
The youth of Bihar will “show a mirror to the NDA leaders” in the 2025 assembly elections, he said.
“If we come to power in the state after 2025 assembly elections, we will take care of students and youth. We will arrange for them (job aspirants) to travel and stay during competitive exams. People are fed up with the NDA government in the state,” the RJD leader alleged.
Rumors that the Bihar Public Service Commission’s preliminary examination papers were leaked spread at an exam center on Friday, with the commission warning of police action against those involved in the “conspiracy”.
About 300-400 examinees have boycotted the 70th Integrated Combined Competitive Examination (CCE) 2024 of BPSC held at Bapu Examination Center in Kumharar, Patna, alleging that the question papers were leaked on social media before the commencement of the examination.
Chaos prevailed at the center where Additional Superintendent of Examinations identified as Ram Iqbal Singh died of cardiac arrest and a woman examinee fainted on Friday.
District Judge Chandrasekhar Singh of Patna reached the examination center after hearing the commotion.
A large crowd gathered outside the center and news channels played video footage of the DM slapping an unruly audience and ordering police personnel to arrest anyone involved in the misbehavior.
The DM clarified, “It was never my intention to slap or hurt anyone. There was a slight delay in the distribution of question papers in one or two exam halls at the centre.” “An aspirant was slapped by an officer in Patna on Friday while protesting against the alleged delay in the distribution of BPSC examination papers. It was highly deplorable,” claimed Yadav.
He also asked, “Why was the question paper distributed almost an hour after the scheduled time?” This is sheer injustice to the students.”
Regarding the PSC preliminary examination held on Friday, BPSC chairman Parmar Ravi Manubhai claimed that the examination was conducted in a free and fair manner at more than 900 centres, where around five lakh candidates appeared.
“However, in a center in Patna, some examinees snatched the question paper from the invigilator and ran out of the examination hall shouting that the question paper was out.
“Taking away the question paper from the invigilator and showing it to outsiders is like looting public property. Police action will be initiated against those found to be acting as conspirators… We are examining the CCTV footage to identify them,” he added.
The RJD leader alleged that the CM had spent Rs 104 crore on his campaign on social media in the name of ‘Mahila-Sambad’ yatra, which will begin on Sunday.
He also alleged, “Rs 114 crore will be spent on meals and other things on the Chief Minister’s trip from government funds… It is organized only to improve the image of the state government and the Chief Minister.”
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