Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Tejashwi Yadav has targeted Prashant Kishor’s newly-formed Jan Suraaj Party, accusing it of functioning as the ‘B team’ of Nitish Kumar’s ruling alliance in Bihar. His comments came after police used water cannons to disperse students protesting the recent BPSC exam.

In a video message late on Sunday, Yadav claimed that the protesting students had been “misled” into marching towards Gandhi Maidan, possibly referring to Prashant Kishor and his party’s involvement in the protests.

“This movement began with the students, and the nearly two-week-long protest at Gardani Bagh had shaken the government. At this critical moment, some elements began playing the role of the government’s B team,” said Yadav, Bihar’s Leader of the Opposition.

“The protesters were misled into marching to Gandhi Maidan, despite clear warnings from the administration. When the time came for lathi charges and water cannons, those who had promised to lead the protests chose to run away,” he added.

Although Prashant Kishor was not present when the police action took place, he had earlier addressed the protesters at Gandhi Maidan, alongside his supporters.

This prompted authorities to file an FIR against Kishor, Jan Suraaj Party president Manoj Bharti, and others involved in the protests.

The protesters, who were later joined by Kishor, attempted to march towards the chief minister’s residence in the evening, leading to police action. Patna District Magistrate Chandrashekhar Singh confirmed this development.

Yadav assured that his party would offer “political” support to the protesters’ demand for the cancellation of the Combined Competitive Exams, which saw over five lakh candidates appear across more than 900 centers on December 13.

“Do not be swayed by empty promises. Stay resolute. January 4 is just around the corner. We still have time to force the government to back down. It’s nonsensical to say the BPSC is not a part of the government. Its chairman is appointed by the chief minister, who also controls the Home Department and, by extension, the police,” Yadav stated.

The BPSC has announced a re-examination for over 10,000 candidates assigned to Bapu Pariksha Parisar in Patna, where hundreds of candidates had boycotted the exam, alleging that the question papers were leaked.

The BPSC has rejected these claims, labeling the disruption of the exam as part of a “conspiracy” to get the test canceled.