BPSC exam row: Students break barricades near Bihar CM residence, do rain dance amid water cannons

Students protesting over recruitment and examination issues in Bihar broke through police barricades as they marched towards the chief minister's residence in Patna on Tuesday. Police used water cannons to disperse them, prompting some protesters to break into a 'rain dance'.

A large number of Bihar Public Service Commission (BPSC) job aspirants and other students began their pre-announced march from Patna's Gandhi Maidan and reached the Dak Bungalow crossing, where police detained several protesters.

Many of the students were carrying the national flag and jostled with police before breaking through the barricades. Police then deployed water cannons, but instead of retreating, some protesters began dancing in the water.

Heavy police deployment was put in place at major intersections across the city, with additional forces, including personnel from the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and Rapid Action Force (RAF), deployed at Dak Bungalow crossing.

The students have been protesting in Patna's Gardanibagh area for weeks. Their demands include a single-tier examination for BPSC-TRE 4, greater transparency in recruitment, recruitment examinations by the Bihar Staff Selection Commission (BSSC) and fair opportunities for Hindi-medium candidates. They have also called for the cancellation of the 70th BPSC examination, citing alleged irregularities.