Bihar: BPSC aspirants lathi charged, Congress demands probe

The Nitish Kumar-led NDA government in Bihar is facing fierce criticism after Bihar Police resorted to a lathi charge against BPSC (Bihar Public Service Commission) Teacher Recruitment Exam (TRE-3) aspirants protesting outside the chief minister’s official residence at 1, Anne Marg in Patna on Tuesday.

The candidates were demanding the release of the supplementary results and redressal of irregularities in the BPSC exam process, including the unexplained vacancy of over 21,000 posts and allegations of results being duplicated.

The protest, which was held in a high-security zone, was met with a heavy-handed police response, triggering outrage across political circles.

पटना में BPSC अभ्यार्थियों को पुलिस ने दौड़ा-दौड़ाकर पीटा

बिहार में BPSC छात्रों का विरोध प्रदर्शन थमने का नाम नहीं ले रहा है. पिछले करीब 4 महीने से छात्र अपनी मांगों पर अड़े हुए हैं. BPSC के छात्र आज पटना में विरोध-प्रदर्शन करने पहुंचे थे. #Patna | #BPSCStudent | #Protest pic.twitter.com/UHPgB2h6a0

— Devesh Pandey (@iamdevvofficial) May 6, 2025

Congress leader and NSUI (National Students' Union of India) in-charge Kanhaiya Kumar launched a scathing attack on the state's NDA government, demanding a judicial probe into both the lathi charge and the alleged exam irregularities.

“The lathi charge on students in Patna is not just unfortunate — it is a shameful reflection of the authoritarian mindset of the Nitish-Modi regime in Bihar,” he said, addressing a press conference in Delhi.

“Our demands are clear: there must be a fair, time-bound judicial inquiry into the lathi charge, and immediate action against the officials responsible. Secondly, the BPSC must be audited. Repeated allegations of corruption, mismanagement, and paper leaks have shattered the faith of Bihar’s youth in the system,” Kumar said.

पटना में छात्रों पर जो लाठीचार्ज हुआ है, हमारे लिए ये बेहद दुखद और चिंता का विषय है। हम उसकी कड़ी भर्त्सना करते हैं।

हमारी मांग है-

• बिहार में लाठीचार्ज की घटना की निष्पक्ष और न्यायिक जांच हो और जो भी अधिकारी दोषी हों, उन पर कार्रवाई की जाए

• BPSC का ऑडिट हो, क्योंकि इस… pic.twitter.com/IqNPt2C4mn

— Congress (@INCIndia) May 6, 2025

Referring to previous incidents, Kumar added, “This is not the first time job seekers have been brutalised on Bihar’s streets. The last time aspirants protested against anomalies in the Administrative Officer exam, they were sprayed with water cannons in freezing weather and then beaten with lathis. Is this how democracy treats its youth?”

He warned that the issue of employment scams and police brutality will be central in the upcoming state assembly elections.

INDIA bloc partner RJD (Rashtriya Janata Dal) too came down heavily on the government. In a strongly worded statement, the party said, “Candidates came to raise genuine concerns, but instead of engaging with them, Nitish Kumar ordered a crackdown. Even female aspirants were not spared! He no longer has time for Bihar’s problems — he is only clinging to power.”

BPSC TRE 3 को लेकर अपनी शिकायतों को CM नीतीश कुमार तक पहुंचाने के लिए अभ्यर्थी एकत्रित हुए थे, मुख्यमंत्री ने बात सुनने के बजाय लाठीचार्ज करवा दिया!
महिला अभ्यर्थियों को भी नहीं बख्शा गया!

नीतीश कुमार के पास बिहार के लिए समय नहीं है, केवल अपनी कुर्सी की चिंता है!#BPSC_TRE3 pic.twitter.com/NKEnfvkrey

— Rashtriya Janata Dal (@RJDforIndia) May 6, 2025

The controversy over the BPSC TRE-3 stems from the fact that while 87,774 posts were advertised, results were declared for only around 66,000 posts. The remaining 21,000 vacancies remain unexplained. Aspirants have also highlighted gross errors in the published results, with some candidates appearing multiple times in different lists.

This isn’t an isolated incident. In March this year, the same group of aspirants staged a 50-day protest in Patna demanding transparency and resolution of these issues — but their demands were met with silence and now, repression.