In an apparent dig at the fledgling Jan Suraaj Party in the BPSC protest in Bihar, RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav accused the outfit, launched by political strategist Prashant Kishor, of functioning as the "B-team" of the Nitish Kumar-led ruling alliance in Bihar.
The scathing remarks came in a video message late on Sunday, hours after police used water cannons to disperse students protesting against a recent BPSC exam.
The former deputy chief minister, now the leader of the opposition, alleged that some elements were misusing the protest to support the government, effectively acting as its "B-team."
He said, "This movement was started by students. The nearly two-week-long dharna at Gardani Bagh, where I also had gone recently, had caused the government to tremble. At this moment, came some elements acting as the government's B team."
Also read: FIR against Kishor for 'inciting' BPSC aspirants’ protest
Yadav further accused these elements of misleading the protesters into marching towards Gandhi Maidan despite warnings from the administration.
Yadav’s comments came after Prashant Kishor, along with his supporters, had addressed the protesters earlier in the day. While Kishor was not present when police resorted to using force, an FIR was lodged against him and Jan Suraaj Party president Manoj Bharti, among others.
The protesters had attempted to march towards the chief minister's residence in the evening, prompting police action, according to Patna District Magistrate Chandrashekhar Singh.
Yadav, addressing the issue of the BPSC exams, promised that his party would continue to support the protesters' demand for the cancellation of the Combined Competitive Exams held on December 13, which had seen around five lakh candidates across 900 centres.
"But you must not get swayed by empty promises. Stick to your guns. January 4 is still a few days away. There is time enough to bring the government to its knees. It is nonsensical to say the BPSC does not come under the government. Its chairman is an appointee of the chief minister, who also happens to hold the Home portfolio, the department which controls the police," Yadav added.
In response to the controversy, the BPSC has decided to conduct a re-examination for over 10,000 candidates assigned to the Bapu Pariksha Parisar centre in the city, where several students had boycotted the tests, alleging paper leaks.
The BPSC denied the allegations, calling the disruption part of a "conspiracy" to get the exam cancelled.
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