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| - The Bihar Public Service Commission (BPSC) conducted the common (preliminary) competitive examination (CCE) across the state on December 13, 2024. However, the exam process soon got mired into controversy when multiple videos emerged from an examination centre in Patna. These videos showed a group of people entering the venue, forcefully snatching and tearing the answer sheets of candidates alleging a paper leak. Additionally, students complained about delays in the distribution of question papers. In response, the BPSC announced a re-examination at the affected centre. Despite this, several candidates continued to raise concerns, pointing to errors in the question papers and irregularities during the exam. They demanded that the test be conducted again for all candidates, not just at the affected centre. The matter escalated when the agitated candidates staged a sit-in demonstration, which was met with police intervention, including lathicharge.
Against this backdrop, Prashant Kishor, chief of Jan Suraj, started an indefinite hunger strike at Gandhi Maidan in Patna on January 2 in support of the candidates demanding the cancellation of Bihar Public Service Commission (BPSC) examination due to the alleged paper leak and irregularities. On the morning of January 6, police reached Gandhi Maidan to arrest him for demonstrating in a restricted area. During this, police clashed with his supporters. Videos of police misbehaving with journalists and activists also surfaced, in which Akashvani Patna tweeted a video and accused the police of trying to beat up a journalist. Meanwhile, a video began circulating widely on social media depicting the policeman coming to arrest Prashant Kishor, his workers and the students gathered there. Alongside this video, it was claimed that a policeman slapped Kishor.
ABP News anchor Chitra Tripathi shared the video, claiming that the police had slapped Prashant Kishor.
BPSC छात्रों के समर्थन में एक व्यक्ति चार दिन से अनशन पर है. पुलिस वाले PK को गिरफ्तार करने पहुंचते हैं. एक वीडियो आता है जहां पर बिना किसी वजह के एक पुलिसकर्मी प्रशांत किशोर को थप्पड़ मारता हुआ दिखाई दे रहा है.
ख़ाकी वर्दी को ऐसे ही पुलिसवाले बदनाम करते हैं. #बेहद_शर्मनाक… pic.twitter.com/4qA0dC0owe
— Chitra Tripathi (@chitraaum) January 6, 2025
Similarly, Live Cities, a digital news platform in Bihar, reported the incident, echoing the claim that the Patna Police had slapped Kishor.
देखें वीडियो, रात के अंधेरे में पटना पुलिस ने प्रशांत किशोर को उठाया और उन्हें थप्पड़ भी मारा….#PrashantKishor #BPSC #BPSC70th #PatnaPolice #Patna #PatnaNews #Bihar #BiharNews #GandhiMaidan #JanSuraaj pic.twitter.com/T9eKKmHFVo
— Live Cities (@Live_Cities) January 5, 2025
A journalist from the outlet named Gyaneshwar also shared the viral clip on social media, suggesting that the video footage released by Jan Suraj hinted at Kishor being slapped by a policeman. Quoting this claim, NDTV editor Pankaj Jha stated that it was “clearly visible” in the video that the police had slapped Prashant Kishor.
इस वीडियो में तो साफ़ दिख रहा है कि बिहार पुलिस के एक जवान ने प्रशांत किशोर को थप्पड़ मारा है https://t.co/QNra44DiMD
— पंकज झा (@pankajjha_) January 6, 2025
Fact Check
A keyword search using terms related to Prashant Kishor’s arrest led us to a report by news agency ANI. It contained a longer version of the viral video, and had been recorded from a different angle. At the 0:59 mark of this footage, it can be clearly seen that a young man who was physically holding on to Prashant Kishor and preventing the police from taking him away was slapped on the head by a policeman. Following this, other workers and supporters at the scene began shouting.
#WATCH | BPSC protest | Bihar: Patna Police detains Jan Suraaj chief Prashant Kishor who was sitting on an indefinite hunger strike at Gandhi Maidan pic.twitter.com/cOnoM7EGW1
— ANI (@ANI) January 5, 2025
When we reviewed the video in slow motion, it became clear that the slap was directed at the boy holding Kishor, not at Prashant Kishor himself.
In a statement to the media, Prashant Kishor denied the claims circulating in the press about him being slapped by the police.
To sum up, police did not slap Prashant Kishor, who was on a hunger strike at Gandhi Maidan in Patna, but a young man who was holding him to prevent the police from picking up the Jan Suraj chief.
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