Rahul Gandhi Meets Protesting Students In Patna, Has This Message For Nitish Kumar

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Saturday threw his weight behind the protests against alleged irregularities in BPSC exams, by visiting the site of the nearly a month-old agitation in Patna and spending several minutes with aggrieved students.

Rahul Gandhi, after meeting the students, took it to X to send a message to Chief Minister Nitish Kumar: "I would like to tell the Chief Minister that instead of ordering lathi charge and showing insensitivity against these protesting students, he should meet them, listen to their demands and consider them seriously."

पटना में गर्दनीबाग धरनास्थल जाकर आंदोलन कर रहे छात्रों से मुलाक़ात की। उन्होंने बताया कि किस तरह BPSC अन्याय कर रही है और बिहार सरकार लाठी डंडे की चोट दे रही है।

मोदी जी कहते हैं कि बिहार में डबल इंजन वाली सरकार है। लेकिन फेल हो चुके इस इंजन से ग़रीब मेहनती छात्रों के सपनों को… pic.twitter.com/hm8y8W6lZS

— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) January 18, 2025

After Mr Gandhi winded up his pre-decided engagements, during which he also made a veiled reference to the protests with the remark "Bihar has been converted into a centre of paper leaks", a delegation of students called on him at a hotel.

The delegation urged him to visit Gardani Bagh where several aspirants have been on a round-the-clock protest seeking cancellation of the Combined Competitive Exam held last month.

Suman Saurabh, a student from Sitamarhi, who was part of the delegation, told PTI video, "We urged Rahul Gandhi to visit Gardani Bagh which is our 'dharmabhoomi' and 'karmabhoomi'. As the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, he is known to the entire nation and his support means a lot to us."

Mr Gandhi squatted in the midst of young men and women who have been carrying on their 'dharna' under a makeshift tent. He was seen patiently listening to the candidates who raised slogans "We want a re-exam" and also highlighted their anguish over the Nitish Kumar government in Bihar failing to give them a hearing.

City-based popular tutor 'Ramanshu sir', who has been lending his support to the protests, sat next to Mr Gandhi and showed him on a mobile phone video clips of the lathi charge on students last month, when police had used water cannons besides charging with baton to disperse a crowd that had gathered at the historical Gandhi Maidan despite warnings to the contrary by the administration.

"The lathi charge reminded me of the British Raj, when those demanding freedom were tied to mortar shells and blown up. We apprised Rahul Gandhi of these happenings. He has assured us that he will raise the matter in Delhi, inside the Parliament, as well as on other platforms," the teacher said.

Another protester, who could not reach close to Mr Gandhi, could be heard screaming from afar. When the former Congress president turned his gaze in that direction, the distraught youngster said, "We have been suffering untold hardships at the hands of the insensitive state government. On the date of the exam, the Patna DM had slapped a student. The lathi charge has been spoken about. A few days ago, we suffered more humiliation at the hands of the state machinery." "A group of students had decided to submit a memorandum to the chief minister, who has been unwilling to meet a delegation here despite repeated requests, while he was on a tour of Samastipur. Members of various students' bodies like AISA and NSUI were part of the group which was shoved like cattle by the police personnel who made sure that we could not reach the site of the Chief Minister," alleged the student.

Over four lakh candidates had appeared for the exams at more than 900 centres across the state on December 13 when hundreds boycotted the test alleging that question papers had been leaked.

The BPSC denied the allegations but ordered re-examination for more than 12,000 candidates who had been assigned Bapu Pariksha Parisar in the city, evoking resentment among other aspirants who have contended that they were being deprived of a "level playing field".

Jan Suraaj Party founder Prashant Kishor has extended legal help to candidates who have moved the Patna High Court seeking cancellation of the exams. He also ended two weeks long fast two days ago.

RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav had visited Gardani Bagh last month and made it a point to target the government over the BPSC issue in his interactions with the media.