Page 24 - Bihar

Prashant Kishor's health condition now stable, aides urge him to end fast

The health condition of Jan Suraaj Party founder Prashant Kishor, who was admitted to the ICU of a hospital in Patna after leading a fast unto death, was stable on Tuesday night and intravenous fluid was being administered to him, doctors treating him said. Leaders of his party, Pavan K Varma and YV Giri, visited him in the evening and said that they had urged him to end his fast as his well-being was necessary. "We have asked Prashant Kishor to consider taking normal food and protect his health. His fight is commendable, but Bihar faces many problems and his well-being is necessary for a prolonged struggle," said Varma. "The CM's unwillingness to meet a five-member delegation of BPSC aspirants shows his insensitivity. He is the guardian of the state, but not willing to meet protesting aspirants," he added. Jay Prabha Medanta Hospital's Medical Director Ravi Shankar Singh said if Kishor's condition improved, he might be brought out of the ICU on Wednesday, but his discharge from th

Prashant Kishor arrested for 'illegal' fast, refuses bail over conditions

Jan Suraaj Party founder Prashant Kishor was on Monday arrested for his illegal fast unto death and sent to jail upon refusal to accept bail, granted by a court here with conditions that were deemed "unreasonable". The 47-year-old, who was last week booked for holding 'Aamaran anshan' (fast unto death) at Gandhi Maidan, in violation of a Patna High Court order that forbids any such demonstration at a place other than Gardani Bagh locality in the city, declared that he would continue his agitation from behind bars. Senior lawyer Y V Giri, who is actively associated with Kishor's party, said the bail was granted with an unreasonable condition that Kishor must give a written undertaking, which would have been tantamount to admitting guilt. The former poll strategist, who started his fast unto death on January 2, demanding, among other things, cancellation of the Combined Competitive Examination conducted last month by the Bihar Public Service Commission (BPSC), was rounded up along wit

Nitish Kumar rules out quitting NDA, recalls ties with Ex-PM Vajpayee

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Monday ruled out the possibility of quitting the NDA, pointing out that his ties with the BJP went back a long way. The JD(U) supremo, who termed as a "mistake" his two short-lived alliances with the RJD-Congress combine, fondly recalled the backing he had always received from former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee. "It was respected Atal ji who made me a Union minister. He used to shower so much of affection on me. I never faced any difficulty in getting my proposals cleared, Kumar told reporters in Vaishali district, which he toured as part of the state-wide Pragati Yatra'. The longest-serving chief minister of the state also recalled that it was Vajpayee's wish that "I become the CM" when the NDA first won assembly polls in Bihar in 2005. "So, why would I not stay (with the BJP)? A couple of times the people in my party committed a mistake (by pressing for an alliance with the Congress-RJD combine). I rectified it both times, said the JD(

Class 11 student from Bihar's Purnia detained for Kumbh Mela bomb threat

Uttar Pradesh Police has detained a Class 11 student from Bihar's Purnia district for allegedly threatening to bomb the Maha Kumbh Mela starting January 13 in Prayagraj, officials said on Monday. Senior Superintendent of Police (Kumbh), Rajesh Dwivedi, said the 17-year-old student, who was brought to Prayagraj on Sunday for questioning, has been sent to a remand home. The accused allegedly created a fake Instagram profile in the name of one his classmates to settle a score, and posted provocative content from it, including a threat to kill 1,000 devotees at the Maha Kumbh, the SSP said. Police took up the probe after filing a case at the Mela Kotwali police station under relevant sections of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and Information Technology Act, he added.

Schools up to class 8 closed till January 11 amid cold wave in Patna

The Patna district administration on Sunday has closed the schools up to class 8 till January 11 for all private and government schools due to prevalent cold weather and low temperature

Video: Prashant Kishor forcibly removed from BPSC protest site in Patna

Prashant Kishor resisted the police's attempt to remove him from the site, which led to a tense situation following which he was detained

BPSC protest: Patna Police detains Prashant Kishor, vacates Gandhi Maidan

Patna Police has vacated the place at Gandhi Maidan where Jan Suraaj chief Prashant Kishor was sitting on a fast-unto-death with the protestors

Bihar's exam transparency questioned as protests erupt ahead of polls

After protests, which resulted in a police lathi charge, the BPSC assured candidates that the exam would be conducted in a single shift

Tight security arrangements in place for BPSC re-examination today

District Magistrate (DM) Chandrashekhar Singh spoke on the protests near the Gandhi statue in Gandhi Maidan and said that it was a restricted area

Will Nitish Kumar jump ship again? Bihar CM reacts to frenemy Lalu's offer

Nitish Kumar was asked about Lalu Yadav's 'our doors are open' remark, where the latter offered his former ally to join hands with INDIA bloc again

Bihar CM Nitish Kumar owns movable, immovable assets worth Rs 1.64 crore

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar owns movable and immovable assets worth Rs 1.64 crore, according to his latest disclosure of assets. According to details of assets of the chief minister and his cabinet colleagues uploaded on the Bihar government website on December 31, Kumar has Rs 21,052 in cash and nearly Rs 60,811.56 in different banks. The Nitish Kumar government has made it mandatory for all cabinet ministers to disclose their assets and liabilities on the last day of every calendar year. As per the disclosures, several ministers are richer than the CM. According to the disclosures made by the CM on the website of the Cabinet Secretariat Department, Kumar has total movable properties worth around Rs 16,97,741.56, while he has immovable assets worth Rs 1.48 crore. The CM has only one residential flat at a cooperative housing society at Dwarka in New Delhi. In 2023, the CM had movable and immovable assets worth Rs 16,484,632.69. According to disclosures, Bihar Deputy CM, Samr

'Where were you': Prashant Kishor faces backlash from BPSC protesters

BPSC students protest: BPSC aspirants in Patna asked Prashant Kishor to leave the protest site, citing his absence during the Bihar Police lathicharge on Sunday night at Gardanibagh

Tejashwi accuses Prashant Kishor's outfit of acting as Nitish's 'B-team'

In an apparent dig at Jan Suraaj Party, RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav accused the fledgling outfit floated by former political strategist Prashant Kishor of acting as 'B team' of the Nitish Kumar-led ruling alliance in Bihar. In a video message late on Sunday, hours after police used water cannons to disperse students seeking cancellation of a recent BPSC exam, the former deputy CM, in an apparent reference to the IPAC founder and his party, said the protesters were "misled" into marching towards Gandhi Maidan. "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," alleged Yadav, who is now the leader of the opposition. "The protesters were misled into marching towards Gandhi Maidan, despite warnings from the administration against doing so. And, when the time to face lathi charge and water cannons came, those who

Lathi charge on peaceful student protesters attack on democracy: Kejriwal

In a post on the social media platform X, Kejriwal highlighted the incident as an attack on democracy and criticised the government's response to student voices

BPSC aspirants, police clash in Patna; case filed against Prashant Kishor

Thousands of BPSC aspirants protested at Patna's Gandhi Maidan, demanding a re-examination of the 70th prelims; police used lathi-charge, water cannons as protesters broke barricades

BPSC exam stalemate continues as protesting students reject offer for talks

The row over the alleged Bihar Public Service Commission (BPSC) question paper leak seemed to be heading for an impasse with protesting students on Saturday rejecting the Patna district administration's offer for talks with authorities in the commission and insisting on an appointment with Chief Minister Nitish Kumar. In hardening of stance, Patna District Magistrate (DM) Chandrasekhar Singh also said he would not allow the 'Chatra Sansad' (students' congregation), called by Jan Suraaj founder Prashant Kishor on Sunday and warned of action against coaching institute owners who were found to be involved, in any manner, in the protests henceforth. Kishor on Saturday went to Gardani Bagh where BPSC aspirants have been staging a dharna for the last several days. Addressing the protesters, Kishor said, "Before coming here, I had a long discussion with people from the education field. I must say that irregularities and paper leaks have now become the norm as far as BPSC exams are concerne

Despite widespread protests, BPSC rules out cancellation of Dec 13 exam

Unfazed by mounting pressure, the Bihar Public Service Commission (BPSC) on Friday made it clear that the 70th Integrated Combined (Preliminary) Competitive Examination (CCE) 2024 held on December 13 across the state will not be cancelled over allegations of question paper leak. Speaking to reporters here, BPSC Examination Controller Rajesh Kumar Singh said, "There is no question of cancelling the entire BPSC exam held on December 13. The BPSC decided to cancel the preliminary examination held at Bapu Pariksha Parisar centre only due to disruption created by a group of unruly aspirants as part of the conspiracy to disrupt the exam. The re-examination will be held on January 4 at some other centre in the city." "We have information that a group of private coaching institutes are instigating aspirants... and they are mobilising students to raise the demand for the cancellation of the entire exam. Their demand is baseless," Singh said. The BPSC examination controller's assertion comes

Priyanka Gandhi slams BJP over police action against job seekers in Patna

Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Thursday slammed the BJP over the police action on job seekers in Patna, saying the ruling party's only vision is to save its chair and whoever demands employment is oppressed. Chaos erupted during a protest in Patna on Wednesday over the alleged leak of a question paper of the December 13 combined preliminary exam conducted by the Bihar Public Service Commission (BPSC), prompting the state police to baton charge job aspirants. Job seekers claimed that several protesters were injured during the police action but a senior officer denied the charge. "Lathi charge on youths who had their hands folded is the height of cruelty. In BJP rule, youths demanding employment are beaten with sticks. Be it UP, Bihar or Madhya Pradesh - if youths raise their voice, they are brutally beaten," Priyanka Gandhi said in a post in Hindi on her WhatsApp channel. "It is the government's job to think about the future of the youth of the world's youngest country and

Bihar Police deny any 'injury' to BPSC aspirants protesting in Patna

Officials also claimed that coaching teachers were instigating aspirants to protest and named several social media accounts that were allegedly misleading the students

CM Nitish Kumar launches projects worth Rs 200 cr in East Champaran

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Tuesday inaugurated and laid foundation stones for a host of developmental projects worth Rs 201.12 crore in East Champaran district. Kumar, during the second day of his Pragati Yatra', visited Sundarpur village under the Kesaria assembly seat and virtually laid the foundation stones for the schemes. According to a statement issued by the Chief Minister's Office (CMO), He inaugurated the newly constructed building of a government school in Sundarpur. Kumar also handed over the management of a pond constructed under the Jal-Jeevan-Hariyali scheme to JEEViKA Didis' (women associated with self-help groups under the JEEViKA project). He distributed symbolic cheques of financial assistance of Rs 3.35 crore to 1,26,354 JEEViKA Didis'. The chief minister directed officials concerned for immediate construction of two bridges over the Dhanauti river in Majuraha and Budhi Gandak in Ibrahimpur area, respectively, in the district. Besides, he asked offici