Patna, Bihar, July 23 (ANI): Jan Suraaj founder Prashant Kishor on Wednesday staged a protest in Patna, warning the Bihar government that his party would escalate its agitation if their demands were ignored, even vowing to surround Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s residence despite police resistance.
Kishor accused the state government of reneging on its promise to provide ₹2 lakh each to 94 lakh poor families, alleging that no family has received a single rupee so far.
Speaking to reporters during his sit-in near the Bihar Assembly, Kishor said, “We want to peacefully deliver this memorandum of the people to the Chief Minister. In the last two years, he promised to give ₹2 lakh to 94 lakh families, but to date, not a single family has received even a rupee.”
He said the government refused to meet his delegation, and the protest would continue until a senior official responded. “The fight has just begun. Three months are still left… The people of Bihar want change and want to remove the corrupt,” he declared.
Kishor directly challenged the government: “They cannot hide in the Assembly and behind the police. We will give them a reply that all of Bihar will see. We will surround CM Nitish Kumar in his home, and the police won’t be able to stop us.”
Earlier in the day, tensions flared when police allegedly used lathis on Jan Suraaj protesters, injuring a young supporter. Responding to the incident, Kishor said, “If you have hit an unarmed man of Suraaj with a stick, I’m sitting right here. Try to hit me. We will make it difficult for the government to function across Bihar… Either the Chief Secretary gives us a written response about when they will answer us, or we won’t move from here.”
Five senior Jan Suraaj leaders are reportedly in talks with the Chief Secretary to resolve the standoff.
The confrontation occurred when party workers attempted to march toward the Assembly. Police erected barricades, sparking a brief scuffle and heightened tensions at the protest site.
Bihar is slated to go to polls later this year, with elections expected in October or November. The NDA — comprising BJP, JD(U), LJP, and supporting Independents — currently holds 131 seats in the 243-member Assembly. The Opposition INDIA bloc, which includes RJD, Congress, and left parties, controls 111 seats.
The Election Commission of India has not yet announced a formal polling date. (ANI)
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