PK QUESTIONED ADMINISTRATION’S ROLE IN THE BY-ELECTION

PK QUESTIONED ADMINISTRATION’S ROLE IN THE BY-ELECTION

12-AUG-ENG 2

RAJIV NAYAN AGRAWAL

PATNA--------------------------Prashant Kishor, the architect of the Jan Suraaj campaign, held a press conference at the party office on Sunday. During the event, he accused the Patna SSP of influencing the election and arresting Jan Suraaj workers, presenting evidence to support his claims.

Kishor stated that, as previously announced, they had submitted evidence of police misconduct to the Election Commission and had also promised to share this proof with the media. The Patna SSP had argued that outsiders were disrupting the election, necessitating their detention or arrest; a letter issued by the SSP's office cited the need to maintain peace and prevent violations by outsiders as the reason for these detentions. Over 50 people were arrested in total, most of whom were locals; the police had raided their homes to apprehend them. PK noted that Section 144 was not in force, and people were asleep in their homes when the police barged in and arrested them.

Naval Kishore Gupta, a resident of Mandiri Ward 26, recounted the incident: "My wife and I were asleep at home when there was loud banging on our door. Upon opening it, I found a large police force deployed outside. I recognized one of the officers and asked what the matter was; he said the senior officer ('Bada Babu') wanted to see me downstairs. I told them I had no criminal cases against me and that I run a bakery. They put me in a vehicle and drove me around before taking me to the Rajiv Nagar police station. When I mentioned that I was being deprived of my right to vote, they took me to Hathua Pathshala at 5 PM to cast my vote and released me right there." Meanwhile, Nibha Bhushan, a resident of Ward 22, stated that she wanted elderly individuals who were unable to go to the polls to cast their votes as well. Her sister, who initially wasn't planning to vote, went only after being persuaded by her; Bhushan had even accompanied her to the polling booth. Upon returning home, she found a few young men associated with the BJP dancing and smiling. She confronted the official present, asking how they had entered her home. The official warned her that she would get into trouble if she wasn't a local resident. She retorted that she was under no obligation to prove her local status to them. No police personnel should have entered a decent citizen's home; this situation reflects the prevailing anarchy. She intended to lodge a formal complaint with the SSP regarding the unauthorized entry into her house.

Sunil Chandravanshi, a resident of Ward 38, recounted the incident: "I was sitting outside my house when an ASI arrived and said the Station House Officer (SHO) wanted to meet me. He put me in a vehicle and drove me around for two hours. Later, I was taken to the police station and released after another two hours. Subsequently, the City SP arrived and surrounded my house, so I left the area."

"I have just one question: 54 people from Jan Suraaj were arrested, but how many BJP members have been arrested?" asked Prashant Kishor.

Kishor questioned the authority under which the police arrested these individuals from their homes, noting that they were released only after voting concluded—just an hour before the polls closed. He challenged the SSP's claim that only outsiders were being arrested for violating Section 144, asking how a person sleeping at night could be considered in violation of the order. He further highlighted that in Ward 22—an upscale area—BJP members were intimidating people by entering the home of a Deputy Collector. When he arrived at the scene, senior officers fled; a sub-inspector he encountered admitted that the senior officials had run away. BJP members had also behaved rudely towards their leaders there. This is the same SSP who claimed it was a case of suicide when a NEET aspirant was raped and murdered. The SSP needs to explain why he sent the police to the woman's house. While the police have raided the homes of our people as many as three times, the SSP issues press releases claiming that outsiders are being arrested. I have just one question: a total of 54 people associated with Jan Suraaj have been arrested, but how many BJP members have been arrested?

We never witnessed such misuse of the administration and police during Nitish Kumar's 20-year tenure. We are not afraid of anyone. Following our request, the Election Commission has assured us that the SSP will not be present during the vote counting tomorrow. Prashant also released a list of 18 local residents who have been detained by the administration. Assembly-level in-charges Rambali Chandravanshi, Lalan Yadav, Kumar Saurav, Ravi Narayan, and Khushbu Pathak, among others, were present at the scene.