Ahead of Bankipur bypoll, Prashant Kishor-police clash over 'illegal' detentions
What's the story
Jan Suraaj Party founder Prashant Kishor has accused the Bihar Police of detaining several of his supporters ahead of the Bankipur bypoll. The bypoll was necessitated after Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA Nitin Nabin resigned. Kishor, who is contesting his first election from Bankipur, alleged that the police acted on orders from the ruling BJP, which he claims fears losing this election.
Detention details
Kishor camps at Jakkanpur police station
Kishor claimed over 16 of his supporters were rounded up by the police without revealing their whereabouts.
"They were so-called—arrested, though technically, no formal arrest was recorded on paper; they were detained and held at various police stations. No one knew where they were taken after being moved from those stations."
"I am not describing these as arrests since there is no record of which of my people have been named in which case," he said.
Claim
Supporters moved around
He said that after two hours of frantically searching for them during the night, it was discovered that they had all been shifted to Danapur.
Yet, shortly after this was revealed, they learned they had been moved again to the Shahpur police station.
"Our point is simple: if they have committed any wrongdoing or illegal act, then file a case against them. But if they haven't, the police are acting like a political entity—specifically to aid the ruling BJP and...government."
Intimidation claims
SHO threatens to deal with Kishor after taking off uniform
Kishor and his supporters camped at Patna's Jakkanpur police station after the alleged detentions.
"The SHO here even claims that the police station was not involved in the detentions, which were carried out at the instance of higher-ups," he claimed.
The SHO allegedly said he would "deal with them after taking off his uniform."
After a heated argument with the SHO, Kishor warned that the officer would be fired if anything happened to his supporters.
Professionalism concerns
Bankipur bypoll main contest between Kishor, BJP's Neeraj Kumar Sinha
Kishor also slammed the police for their unprofessional conduct. He said, "I am sitting at the police station to highlight the sheer lack of professionalism on the part of the police."
Voting is underway for the bypolls in three important assembly seats: Bankipur in Bihar, Datia in Madhya Pradesh, and Manjalpur in Gujarat.
In Bankipur, 26 candidates are in the fray but it is seen mainly as a contest between Kishor and BJP's Neeraj Kumar Sinha, a youth wing leader.