Patna, Dec 7 (IANS) Amid the reports that educationist Faizal Khan (Khan Sir) was whisked away by the police when he joined the agitating BPSC candidates, Patna Police categorically denied any such development on Friday.
Khan Sir, along with Guru Rahman, openly supported the agitating BPSC candidates following the lathi-charge in Patna. They reached the dharna site in the Gardanibagh locality in Patna to show their solidarity with the candidates.
Earlier in the day, educationists like Khan Sir and Guru Rahman publicly voiced their opposition to the government's handling of the situation and expressed solidarity with the affected candidates.
Khan Sir, a well-known educator, condemned the use of force and emphasised the need for reforms in the examination process. Speaking to IANS, he said that candidates should be granted additional time for exam preparation to compensate for disruptions caused by the delay.
“BPSC should reopen the website for the aspirants whose application forms were delayed or stuck due to server issues. They should be allowed to submit their applications, with a deadline extension,” Khan Sir said.
“The normalisation process should be cancelled and a transparent and equitable examination system should be applied for the further proceedings. The authority should conduct a peaceful examination. A plea was made for the authorities to ensure a calm and orderly atmosphere during the exam to prevent further distress to the candidates,” Khan Sir said.
Another prominent educationist, Guru Rahman also voiced his strong condemnation of the Patna police lathi charge on BPSC aspirants, calling it a sign of "anarchy" and a grave injustice to the students.
Addressing the issue, he joined Khan Sir in criticising the actions of the authorities and made specific demands to address the grievances of the candidates.
“The BPSC chairman should provide a written commitment that the controversial normalisation process would not be implemented in the BPSC examination. It has been a major concern for aspirants,” Guru Rahman said.
Guru Rahman highlighted the plight of approximately 80,000 candidates whose forms were left incomplete due to server issues, demanding that they be allowed to reapply.
He proposed a three-month extension to the examination schedule, allowing candidates sufficient time to prepare in light of the disruptions they have faced.
Hundreds of students took to the streets in Patna early on Friday, protesting what they alleged to be normalisation issues in the 70th BPSC PT exam. They surrounded the BPSC office, and the protest escalated as the day progressed.
Due to intense protest, Patna Police initially attempted negotiation with them but failed and resorted to a lathi charge to disperse the crowd. Several student leaders sustained injuries during this action.
The agitating students reached Gardanibagh, a proposed site for dharna in Patna. They were joined by Khan Sir and Guru Rahman.
Amid the chaos, rumours surfaced that Khan Sir and student leader Dilip Kumar had been arrested. This created widespread concern. However, Patna Police clarified that Khan Sir had not been arrested or detained.
He was removed from the protest site for attempting to support agitating students. Khan Sir reached the Gardani Bagh police station on his own.
Patna SSP Rajiv Mishra emphasised that Khan Sir had not been arrested or detained and was repeatedly asked to leave the police station.
“Khan Sir was repeatedly being asked to leave the police station but he was not ready to leave. Khan Sir had reached the police station for those students who were detained by the police,” Mishra said.
The Commission denied any truth to the rumours about normalisation in the exam, dismissing them as baseless.
This episode highlights the charged atmosphere in Patna, with students demanding transparency and fairness in competitive examinations, and the significant influence of educators like Khan Sir in mobilising and representing student concerns.
The situation remained tense but under control, as the authorities continued to address the unfolding developments.
