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The Hindu
10 hours ago
- Politics
- The Hindu
Bihar police lathi charge on protesting Jan Suraaj workers in Patna, many get injured
Police lathi charged on the protesting Jan Suraaj party workers who were on their way to gherao the ongoing Monsoon Session of Bihar Vidhan Sabha on Wednesday (July 23, 2025). In the scuffle between the police and party workers, many got seriously injured. Jan Suraaj party was protesting against the government in support of their demands including alleged corruption in land survey, Dalit families not getting three decimal of land and 94 lakh poor families not getting ₹2 lakh for employment despite government announcement. As planned, the party workers were not allowed to enter the road which was leading towards the Assembly building. They tried their best from 11 a.m. when the Assembly proceedings began but everywhere there was heavy deputation of the police force. Holding placards, banners and posters, the party workers gathered at Patel Chowk near Chitkohra Bridge. Even Jan Suraaj founder Prashant Kishor also reached near the protest site. When the police tried to stop them, party workers including Mr. Kishore sat on a dharna on the road itself after a scuffle. The police tried hard to remove the workers and when they tried to break the police barricading and move towards the Assembly, the police responded through lathi charge to disperse the protestors. Many of the party workers received injuries. One party worker was hit on his head. One party worker was hit on both legs due to which he was unable to walk. Both were rushed to nearby hospitals. Pointing towards the police, Mr. Kishor said, 'Why did you lathi charge on my party workers? Did any of my party workers pelt stones on any police officer or magistrates, then why do you people lathi charge on them? Do you have the guts to use your lathi on me then I will show what I can do. I will make it difficult for the government to function even for a day.' When a police officer asked him to leave the place, Mr. Kishor further said, 'Don't show me this police tantrum, I have seen enough of this. For the last two months, we have trying to meet the Chief Minister over our demands but there is no response. We also tried to meet the Governor but ge also did not have time. So, we had no other options except going to Vidhan Sabha.' Later, a six member delegation led by Jan Suraaj State president Manoj Bharti met Bihar Chief Secretary Amrit Lal Meena to hand over the memorandum of the demands. Mr. Kishor threatened if the government does not take action on their demands then he will gheraoe the official residence of Chief Minister Nitish Kumar by bringing one lakh people.
Time of India
11 hours ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Jan Suraaj hits street over three demands
Patna: Police resorted to a mild lathicharge to stop the 'Vidhan Sabha march' launched by the Jan Suraaj on Wednesday. The march was led by party founder . Around six party functionaries were injured in the police action. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now The party workers, led by Kishor, started the march to gherao the state assembly over three key issues: Non-payment of Rs 2 lakh to poor families despite the govt's announcement, non-grant of three dismal land to the landless poor and alleged corruption in the land survey. As the protesters tried to enter the prohibited zone despite repeated appeals by the district administration, the police later resorted to a mild lathicharge, leaving some functionaries wounded. "No gathering is allowed in the restricted area. So when we noticed a crowd approaching, we tried to stop them, and in the process, there was a mild use of force," Patna (Central) SP Diksha told the reporters. Kishor threatened to lay a siege to the residence of the CM. "Why did you use force against our protesting workers? If you don't mend your ways, we will lay a siege to the CM's house," Kishor said. He said for two months, they sought an appointment with representatives of the govt to highlight these issues. "Now, left with no choice, when we hit the streets, I am being told that the chief secretary is ready to meet a delegation comprising five members only," he said.
New Indian Express
14 hours ago
- Politics
- New Indian Express
JSP workers injured in alleged lathi charge as police stop march to CM Nitish's residence
PATNA: Several workers of the Jan Suraaj Party (JSP) were allegedly injured during a protest in Patna on Wednesday, after police allegedly resorted to a baton charge to stop them from marching towards the chief minister's residence. The protest, led by JSP founder Prashant Kishor, was part of a 'CM residence gherao' stir to press for a three-point charter of demands. JSP supporters who gathered there to take part in 'CM residence gherao' were stopped by police near Chitkohra Overbridge while they were heading towards the Gardanibagh dharna site. Police had erected barricades the march, leading to a scuffle between personnel and JSP protestors. Videos of the clash quickly went viral on social media. JSP later claimed that several of its supporters sustained injuries in the police action, alleging they were lathi-charged during the protest. Prashant Kishor attacked the state government for using force against peaceful demonstration and attempt to suppress the voice of the people. 'We will not allow this to happen. We will fight against them,' he said. The agitation was organised to protest, what Prashant Kishor called, 'three critical failure of the state government. Later addressing workers, Kishor raised three questions: Why have poor families not received the promised Rs.2 lakh employment aid? Why have Dalit families not been allotted three decimals of land? And why there is silence on alleged corruption in the ongoing land survey? Prashant Kishor, who met the injured supporters shortly after the incident, slammed the state government, accusing it of suppressing genuine public concerns through police force. 'They (government) think that it will impact our fight for justice. But they are under the shadow of illusion. Our fight will continue till demands are met,' he asserted. Meanwhile, Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP), Patna, denied the lathicharge and said that the protestors were prevented from marching towards prohibited area. 'Holding agitation is completely banned in prohibited zone,' he told the media while defending police action.
Indian Express
16 hours ago
- Politics
- Indian Express
Prashant Kishor's protest runs into police wall 2 kilometres from Bihar assembly
Three workers of Prashant Kishor's Jan Suraaj Party were injured as police resorted to lathi-charge to disperse a protest march outside the Bihar Legislative Assembly on Wednesday. Though Kishor, who was leading a march to the House for the first time since he founded the party in October 2024, was stopped almost two kilometres away from the Vidhan Sabha, he succeeded in making his presence felt, daring police to hit him and saying that officers had no right to use lathi charge on a peaceful demonstration. Slogans of 'Nitish Kumar hosh me aao (Nitish, come to your senses)' and 'Nitish Kumar murdabad (down with Nitish Kumar)' rang loud during the protest before it was dispersed. The week-long monsoon session of Assembly, the last session before 2025 polls, concludes this Friday. Kishor had started the protest march from his Shekhpura house along Bailey Road. The Vidhan Sabha is five kilometres away. He has been demanding that the Nitish Kumar-led NDA government fulfil its promises, such as giving Rs 2 lakh each to 94 lakh poor families, distribution of three decimal land to each Mahadalit family, and completion of the land survey. 'We are only reminding CM of his old promises,' he said. Later, JSP state president Manoj Kumar Bharti led a team to meet state chief secretary Amrit Lal Meena to put forth the party's demands. JSP has set a deadline of a week to implement its promises, failing which the party would resume the protest. Santosh Singh is a Senior Assistant Editor with The Indian Express since June 2008. He covers Bihar with main focus on politics, society and governance. Investigative and explanatory stories are also his forte. Singh has 25 years of experience in print journalism covering Bihar, Delhi, Madhya Pradesh and Karnataka. ... Read More
News18
3 days ago
- Politics
- News18
Will Brahmins Form Bedrock Of Support For Prashant Kishor In Bihar?
Last Updated: To be fair to Kishor, despite being born a Brahmin, he has not explicitly positioned Jan Suraaj as a Brahmin-centric party. As poll fever gradually grips Bihar, political parties are gearing up for the campaign. The main rivals, the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) comprising the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Janata Dal (United) (JDU), and some minor partners, and the INDI Alliance, primarily made up of the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and the Congress with a few minor players, are in the process of preparing their strategies. Meanwhile, the newcomer Jan Suraaj Party is already pushing ahead with full vigour. Prashant Kishor, a notable poll manager turned politician and Jan Suraaj Party's founder is often compared to Arvind Kejriwal of Delhi politics, even though he dislikes the comparison. This label has stuck due to his intense criticism of 'failed political leadership,' a tactic Kejriwal used effectively to gain power. Although our constitution aims to create a casteless society, Indian politics remains dominated by caste. A progressive leader with broad societal appeal still needs a caste or community vote base to survive in India's political landscape. A prime example is former Delhi Chief Minister and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) founder Arvind Kejriwal. Kejriwal initially rose to prominence on an anti-corruption movement, but he managed to stay in power for almost 12 years with the support of the Bania caste, to which he belongs and which comprises six percent of Delhi's voters. While the Banias voted for the BJP in the 2014 and 2019 Lok Sabha elections, they shifted their support to Kejriwal in the 2015 and 2020 Delhi assembly polls. The Aam Aadmi Party could be removed from power in the 2025 assembly elections only if the Banias shift their support to the BJP. Prashant Kishor, who personally handled AAP's campaign and management during the 2020 polls and remotely controlled the 2025 polls through his company, understands this dynamic well. As Jan Suraaj's leader in Bihar, Kishor emphasises moving beyond caste-based politics, focusing instead on governance, education, and employment. However, in a state where caste dynamics are deeply rooted, his upper-caste background, which he may not publicly acknowledge, limits his appeal among backward and marginalised communities. Rival parties emphasise his caste to consolidate their support bases, further complicating this perception. To be fair to Kishor, despite being born a Brahmin, he has not explicitly positioned Jan Suraaj as a Brahmin-centric party. Instead, he aims to build a broad-based coalition that transcends traditional caste alignments. This approach includes fielding candidates from diverse backgrounds, including Muslims, to appeal to a wider electorate. However, given the caste dynamics in Bihar's politics, Kishor the strategist knows he needs a caste vote base to launch his party and gain broader support. This initial support in Bihar could best come from his own community in the post-Mandal era. One of the after-effects of Mandal politics in Bihar has been the marginalisation of Brahmins. Once a dominant community in Bihar politics, Brahmins, who provided five chief ministers to the state before the Mandal era, have lost prominence in all political parties. Given that Prashant Kishor is a Brahmin, the community might agree to be his party's vote foundation or continue supporting the BJP-JD (U) at the state level and candidates from their community from other parties at the local level. The Brahmin community in Bihar is at a crossroads. While their affiliation with parties like the BJP and JD(U) has provided a semblance of political inclusion, the promise of greater representation and development offered by Jan Suraaj presents a compelling alternative. They understand they have little space in the opposition alliance, where a recent statement by an RJD MLA indicated that Brahmins in politics today are on the back foot. Brahmins in Bihar constitute about 4 percent of the population, with three major sub-castes: Maithil, Kanyakubj-Saryupari, and Shakaldweepi. Maithils are predominantly in the north of Bihar, Kanyakubj are mainly in south Bihar and the Bhojpuri-speaking districts of north Bihar bordering Uttar Pradesh, while Shakaldweepi are fewer in number but spread across most districts with a major concentration in the Magadh region. There may be some smaller sub-castes as well. In a largely 'lawless' state like Bihar, the Brahmins' support for the BJP and JD(U) has provided them with a sense of security, albeit with limited representation. Shifting allegiance to a nascent party like Jan Suraaj would require assurance of tangible benefits and representation. Kishor's focus on development and governance could resonate with Brahmins seeking a return to political relevance. His emphasis on systemic issues rather than caste-based mobilisation offers an alternative narrative that might attract educated and urban Brahmins disillusioned with traditional politics. However, elections in Bihar are won more in its villages than in its towns and cities. According to the caste census, 89 percent of Bihar's population is rural. Only time will tell whether the Brahmin community will become the bedrock of Jan Suraaj's support or continue their allegiance to established political entities. The writer is author and president, Centre for Reforms, Development & Justice. 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