A couple of days before the Patna High Court will take up the petition demanding re-test of the 70th combined competitive examination and the government in no mood to relent, Bihar Governor Arif Mohammad Khan heared the grievances of the Bihar Public Service Commission (BPSC) aspirants.
A senior Raj Bhawan functionary said that the Governor held talks with the students’ delegation comprising 12 members. “It was between the students and the Governor. We cannot comment on it,” he added.
After the talks, the students were, however, optimistic. “He patiently listened to us for 40-45 minutes. He assured us that within the framework of the Constitution, he would ensure that demands of the students reach the concerned authorities and they should have faith that justice will be done,” said a student Subhash, who was part of the delegation.
The students said that the Governor also expressed concern over the health of Prashant Kishor and asked the students to ensure end of his hunger strike. “Keep the students’ demands and Prashant Kishor’s hunger strike separate. He should end his fast and I am writing to the concerned officials about your demands,” khan added.
The move is significant as the government has far not given any indication of budging from its stand, though BJP state chief and minister Dilip Jaiswal did once say that the exam could also be cancelled if the ongoing probe found irregularities. However, the fate of the internal probe, if any, is also unknown.
Jan Suraj Party founder Prashant Kishor said an 11-member delegation of students went to meet the Governor at 2 pm. “This is a big step forward in the interest of students and to break the impasse. The students have been on indefinite hunger strike despite great difficulties. I have also been on fast for the last 12 days. I hope the Governor’s intervention will have some positive outcome for the students,” he added.
Kishor said that the governor’s initiative was praiseworthy, as he wished to meet a delegation of students so that he could take it forward with the government to the best of his ability. Kishore also introduced the 11 students who met the Governor. The students said that the agitation by students since December 18 had been on and they would like an impartial probe into the their allegations.
“The students want that a high-level probe be ordered into the BPSC affairs so that the truth could come out. The students have levelled serious allegations and the government says there is nothing wrong. That calls for a probe. The students will only interact. Former IPS officer and Jan Suraj Party chief Manoj Bharti will only accompany them. We thank the Governor, who is the Constitutional head of the state, for the sensitivity and hope that a positive outcome will come out,” he added.
Kishore, who was released from hospital Saturday evening despite his fast still continuing, also spoke on the administration’s move to remove the Jan Suraj’s camp from a private land in Patna. “There is some misunderstanding, perhaps. The administration felt that at the camp thousands of people could gather. We have organised camps at various places across the state in the past two years in course of the padyatra. We are sorting it out, as the camp will be at a private land,” he added.
On Wednesday, the Patna HC will also hear the petition of students backed by Jan Suraj seeking cancellation of exam, while on the other hand the BPSC is moving ahead with its exercise to publish results.
