Prashant Kishor's health stable, aides urge him to end fast

Patna: The health condition of Jan Suraaj Party founder Prashant Kishor, who was admitted to the ICU of a hospital in Patna after leading a fast unto death, was stable on Tuesday night and intravenous fluid was being administered to him, doctors treating him said.

Leaders of his party, Pavan K Varma and YV Giri, visited him in the evening and said that they had urged him to end his fast as his well-being was necessary.

"We have asked Prashant Kishor to consider taking normal food and protect his health. His fight is commendable, but Bihar faces many problems and his well-being is necessary for a prolonged struggle," said Varma.

"The CM's unwillingness to meet a five-member delegation of BPSC aspirants shows his insensitivity. He is the guardian of the state, but not willing to meet protesting aspirants," he added.

Jay Prabha Medanta Hospital's Medical Director Ravi Shankar Singh said if Kishor's condition improved, he might be brought out of the ICU on Wednesday, but his discharge from the hospital was out of the question for now.

"We have been administering intravenous fluid to Kishor with the request that he start taking normal food which would help in speedy recovery," Singh said.

The Combined Competitive Examination conducted by the Bihar Public Service Commission (BPSC) on December 13 has been in the eye of a storm over allegations of question paper leak. Even as the government refuted the allegation, a fresh test was ordered for more than 12,000 candidates who had appeared in the exam at a centre in Patna.

Kishor had been on fast since January 2 at the Gandhi Maidan in support of the protesting BPSC aspirants, who have been demanding the cancellation of the exams. He was arrested on Monday and later released on bail.

He was admitted to the hospital earlier in the day after he was found to be suffering from dehydration.

Giri, who is a senior advocate of the Patna HC, said, "The executive has miserably failed in squarely addressing the concerns of the BPSC candidates. This is not an issue which can be solved by the legislature. So now, we must approach the judiciary. I can say with my 52 years of legal practice that we can expect early relief." The SC refused to entertain a plea seeking the cancellation of the exam and told the petitioner that he should have first approached the Patna High Court.

Asked about it, Giri said, "The petition was filed by a law firm, which acted in a foolish manner. In all such issues, normally people move the high court and approach the SC only if they fail to get relief. Moreover, a law firm not being an aggrieved party should not have filed a writ petition. The apex court very rightly turned it down... but a proper petition is bound to be heard." Meanwhile, the Patna district administration refuted the allegations made by Kishor that police personnel accompanying him had tried to put pressure on doctors to prepare a "false medical report".

Also, the district transport authority claimed that the vanity van, which was being used by Kishor at the protest site, violated provisions of the Motor Vehicles Act.

Further examination of documents of the van is being done by the Transport Department, it said in a statement.