Prashant Kishor arrested amid hunger strike over BPSC exam row
What's the story
Prashant Kishor, the leader of the Jan Suraaj Party (JSP), was arrested by the Bihar Police on Monday morning.
He had been on an indefinite hunger strike at Patna's Gandhi Maidan since January 2.
The protest was held against alleged irregularities and a purported paper leak in the Bihar Public Service Commission (BPSC) exam conducted on December 13.
Detention details
Kishor and supporters detained, FIR filed
Kishor and his supporters were whisked away from the protest site by police and taken to AIIMS Patna for a medical examination.
District Magistrate Chandrashekhar Singh confirmed the arrest and said the protest was "illegal" as it was held near a restricted site.
An FIR had been filed against Kishor and around 150 supporters for unauthorized gathering and creating a law and order issue.
Ongoing protest
Kishor criticizes Bihar CM, continues hunger strike
Even after being rushed to AIIMS, Kishor refused treatment and vowed to continue his hunger strike.
He slammed Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar for not paying heed to the students' demands.
"The chief minister should meet the students regarding their demands, this is in the interest of the state," Kishor told ANI.
The BPSC has refuted allegations of a paper leak, terming it a "conspiracy" to cancel the exams.
Political backing
Kishor seeks support from political leaders
Kishor has also sought support from political leaders such as Rahul Gandhi and Tejashwi Yadav to amplify the protest.
He stressed that the leaders could mobilize massive public support for the cause.
"These leaders are much bigger than us. They can get five lakh people to gather at the Gandhi Maidan... this is the time to do so," he said, adding, "The future of the youth is at stake."
Legal action
JSP to file petition, controversy over 'vanity van'
The JSP intends to approach the Patna High Court with a petition over the alleged exam irregularities on January 7.
Separately, controversy erupted over a "vanity van" parked near Kishor's protest site, which his rivals used to question his sincerity.
The BPSC exam row has deepened after the government announced a re-examination for over 10,000 candidates from one controversial exam center.
Kishor argued this re-examination meant irregularities had happened.