Patna: In the shadow of Patna’s fortified corridors, where Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s residence stands as a symbol of power, the sharp crack of police batons has become a haunting echo, drowning out the cries of those seeking justice. On May 6, 2025, aspirants of the Bihar Public Service Commission (BPSC) Teacher Recruitment Exam 3 (TRE-3) faced a lathi charge near this high-security zone, their placards demanding answers for what they claimed were 21,000 vacant teaching posts trampled underfoot.
This clash is the latest in a string of confrontations that have scarred Patna’s streets, from BPSC candidates battling alleged exam leaks in December 2024 to Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) workers protesting government failures in July 2023 and Bhim Army members rallying for quota rights in August 2024. Each lathi charge reveals a deeper malaise—administrative lapses, political rivalries, and a youth suffocated by unemployment in a state where opportunity is a distant dream. This is the story of Patna’s lathi lines, where batons clash with aspirations, and the causes that ignite these fiery standoffs.
The unrest flared on May 6, 2025, as hundreds of TRE-3 aspirants gathered at 1 Anne Marg, a Very Very Important Person (VVIP) zone, to protest irregularities in the July 2024 exam results. Official data confirms 5,578 posts remain vacant out of 84,587 advertised—3,594 for primary school (Class 1–5) and 1,984 for middle school (Class 6–8). Protesters claimed 21,000 posts were unfilled, citing duplicated results where one candidate appeared on multiple lists and demanded supplementary results. Kriti Dutta, a protester, told reporters, “For four months, we’ve knocked on every door—ministers, secretaries, legislators—but no one listens. These jobs are our only hope”. When the crowd, including many women, refused to disperse, police baton-charged, dragging women away and charging male protesters. Some alleged women were beaten, though officials denied this. Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Tejashwi Yadav condemned the crackdown, stating, “Nitish Kumar’s batons crush students, not criminals. His socialism is a sham”. The Supreme Court of India declined to intervene, and Bihar Governor Arif Mohammad Khan’s promises remain unfulfilled, fueling anger.
In December 2024, Patna’s streets saw similar turmoil when aspirants of the BPSC 70th Combined Competitive Examination (CCE) prelims, held on December 13, protested alleged paper leaks at Bapu Pariksha Parisar. With 3.28 lakh candidates across 912 centres, the exam was a gateway to civil service jobs. Chaos at Bapu—where Closed-Circuit Television (CCTV) footage showed candidates tearing papers and opening question paper boxes—ignited protests from December 18 at Gandhi Maidan and Gardani Bagh. On December 25, as protesters marched to surround the BPSC office on Bailey Road, police lathi-charged and chased them. Authorities reported no injuries but accused coaching teachers, including Delhi-based tutor Rohit, of inciting unrest, filing a First Information Report (FIR) against him. On December 29, Jan Suraaj Party founder Prashant Kishor led a march toward the Chief Minister’s residence, facing water cannons and batons at JP Roundabout after breaching barricades. Seven to eight students were injured, and an FIR was filed against Kishor and 19 others. BPSC Chairperson Parmar Ravi Manubhai denied a widespread leak, scheduling a re-exam for Bapu’s 12,000 candidates on January 4, 2025. Protesters, backed by Tejashwi Yadav, Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, and Jannayak Janata Party leader Pappu Yadav, demanded a full cancellation, citing late paper distribution and faulty CCTV.
On July 13, 2023, Patna’s Dak Bungalow Chowk became a flashpoint when thousands of BJP workers marched toward the Bihar Legislative Assembly, protesting the Nitish Kumar government’s policies, including the removal of the domicile policy for teacher recruitment and corruption charges against Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav. Led by BJP leaders Samrat Choudhary (now the deputy Chief Minister) and Vijay Kumar Sinha, the procession was halted by police barricades. When protesters pushed through, batons and tear gas injured dozens, including Members of Parliament (MPs) and Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs). Vijay Singh, a BJP leader from Jehanabad, died during the protest, prompting the BJP to allege a “state-sponsored conspiracy” by Nitish Kumar, who oversees the Home Department. Janata Dal (United) (JD(U)) leader Lalan Singh (now a central minister) claimed that Singh died before reaching the site, a claim the BJP disputed. The BJP’s inquiry committee called it “jungle raj,” and the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) sought a state report.
On August 21, 2024, Bhim Army members faced batons during a Bharat Bandh protesting a Supreme Court ruling allowing states to sub-classify Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Scheduled Tribes (STs) for quotas. Blocking highways and railway tracks in Patna, they demanded that quotas be secured in the Constitution’s 9th Schedule. Police used lathis and water cannons, with one X post noting a policeman mistakenly lathi-charging a Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM). This clash underscored Bihar’s caste tensions, with Scheduled Castes forming 19.7% of the population (2011 Census).
What drives these lathi charges? Administratively, BPSC’s repeated failures ignite unrest. The 2024 CCE prelims faced allegations of unsealed papers and faulty CCTV, while TRE-3’s 5,578 vacant posts—despite 38,900 candidates passing—stem from duplicated results and verification delays. The 21,000 vacancy claim, though inaccurate, reflects deep distrust in opaque systems. Bihar’s 7.9% unemployment rate (2023 Periodic Labour Force Survey) amplifies desperation, with over 5 lakh candidates vying for scarce jobs. Politically, protests are a battleground. The 2023 BJP march aimed to destabilise Nitish Kumar’s JD(U)-RJD coalition, with Vijay Singh’s death politicised. In 2024, Tejashwi Yadav and Prashant Kishor leveraged BPSC protests to attack Nitish Kumar, eyeing 2025 elections. The Bharat Bandh tapped into caste grievances, a potent force in Bihar. Policing practices escalate tensions, with lathi charges in restricted zones like the Chief Minister’s residence, defended by Patna Central Superintendent of Police (SP) Sweety Sahrawat when barricades are breached. Congress leader Kanhaiya Kumar demanded a judicial probe into the 2025 incident and called it “authoritarian”. Socio-economically, Bihar’s youth, fueled by coaching hubs and influencers like Khan Sir, mobilise swiftly, while caste inequalities stoke unrest. Each lathi charge, meant to quell disorder, deepens alienation, with viral videos fueling outrage.
Patna’s lathi lines reflect Bihar’s fault lines. TRE-3 aspirants faced batons for teaching dreams, CCE candidates for civil service hopes, BJP workers for political leverage, and Bhim Army members for caste equity. Each clash—from exam failures to political games—exposes unemployment, distrust, and a governance system torn between order and justice. As batons swing, they silence but amplify a call for reform. Patna’s streets, bruised yet defiant, await a day when lathis yield to solutions, and hopes rise above the pain of protest.
– global bihari bureau
