The ongoing agitation by the aspirants of the Bihar Public Service Commission (BPSC) 70th combined entrance test continues to heat up politics in Bihar in the run-up to the Assembly elections to be held later this year. In its latest grip are divergent views of two prominent Dalit leaders of the state and key components of the ruling NDA coalition.
Union minister Jitan Ram Manjhi, who is also the patron of HAM-S party, on Wednesday openly said that the BPSC aspirants’ agitation has continued only because of politics and there is no justification of holding re-examination for all the students as is being demanded by the protesting aspirants.
“The government and the BPSC have been quite liberal. Out of 912 exam centres, there was trouble reported from only centre and the re-exam for one centre was taken. For 5,000-10,000 candidates on dharna, the BPSC cannot hold re-exam for around four lakh. If they also sit on dharna against re-exam, then what will happen?” he asked, while talking to media persons.
The statement of Manjhi, who has been in news for his strong overtures over seat-sharing in recent days, is significant in view of the contrary view of another constituent of the NDA. Union minister Chirag Paswan, who is also chief of his party Lok Janshakti Party -Ramvilas (LJP-RV), expressed solidarity with the students’ cause. He specifically said that he was with the cause with which Jan Suraaj party founder Prashant Kishor sat on fast-unto-death in solidarity with the BPSC aspirants.
Chirag didn’t stop jus there, he went on to say that there should be high-level inquiry to ascertain what actually happened in the December 13 test. He said that it was the responsibility of the Bihar government to ensure that there was no injustice with any BPSC aspirant and that the BPSC must be made accountable.
However, Manjhi said the stand of the Bihar government (not to bow to students’ demand) was absolutely right. “The government and the BPSC have done the right thing,” he added.
Political analysts also view that the BPSC row has certainly snowballed into an issue which every political party is eying to take advantage of.
Former director of AN Sinha substitute of Social Studies DM Diwakar said that statements of both Manjhi and Paswan are indicative of their political positioning.
“The BPSC issue has snowballed into a major conundrum. The court will take a final call in this matter. But for politics, an issue being on fire is enough. And more importantly, it is also a race of oneupmanship in the NDA as much as it is in the INDIA block. More contrasting tunes will emerge in the days to come,” he added.
The BPSC row is now subjudice in the Patna High Court, which would hear the case in its next hearing on January 31.