Bankipur bypoll: Prashant Kishore alleges police detained over 16 Jan Suraaj workers

Jan Suraaj founder and Bankipur Assembly byelection candidate Prashant Kishore on Thursday alleged that police detained more than 16 party leaders and workers ahead of polling accusing the ruling BJP and the state government of using the police to harass his party workers while expressing 200 per cent confidence in his victorySpeaking to reporters Kishore alleged that Jan Suraaj leaders were detained at different police stations on Wednesday night and shifted between locations without information being provided about their whereaboutsAs we stated the police harassed over 16 Jan Suraaj leaders from yesterday evening until late at night They were socalledarrested though technically no formal arrest was recorded on paper they were detained and held at various police stations Kishore saidHe alleged that the detained leaders were moved from one police station to anotherNo one knew where they were taken after being moved from those stations After two hours of frantic searching during the night it was discovered that they had all been shifted to Danapur Yet shortly after this was revealedand with media personnel presentwe learned they had been moved again to the Shahpur police station he saidKishore said that if the party workers had committed any offence the police should register cases against themOur point is simple if they have committed any wrongdoing or illegal act then file a case against them But if they havent the police are acting like a political entityspecifically to aid the ruling BJP and the governmentby detaining Jan Suraaj workers solely to prevent them from being active during the election he allegedHe further claimed that several of those detained were residents of Patna and alleged that the police had not disclosed the reason for their detentionSome argued that these were outsiders but let me clarify at least ten of these leaders are residents of Patna They were picked up during raids on their homes at night The police have not yet specified the crime for which they were detained It is clear that the BJP is facing defeat Initially they deployed their MLAs MPs ministers leaders and even actors but to no avail Then they enlisted their NDA allies but that too had no impact They even tried releasing a fake video of an ailing Nitish Kumar but that also failed he saidKishore also accused the BJP of using various tactics to influence the election alleging that money was being distributed among votersFor two days they distributed money doortodoorvaluing the future of the children of Bihar at a mere one thousand to fifteen hundred rupees per vote Yet nothing worked When people refused to waver even after being offered money they resorted to using the police yesterdayspecifically to detain those associated with Jan Suraaj and harass us he allegedKishore said that despite the alleged detentions polling agents of his party were present at polling boothsYou can see us sitting at the police station until 300 AM yet it has had no impact The election has just begun polling agents are present at every booth he saidResponding to a question on the BJPs complaint to the Election Commission seeking strict verification of voter IDs over allegations of fake voting Kishore welcomed the demandFor the first time in a long while the BJP has done something constructive by requesting strict scrutiny of EPIC cards to curb fake voting we welcome this move he saidOn the BJP leadership camping in Patna for the bypoll Kishore said it would make no difference to the outcomeWho from the BJP hasnt camped here The entire BJP has camped here The thing for you to see is that in the assembly where until yesterday BJP people were saying our fort is so strong that even if we field a dog or a cat they will win there peoplenot Jan Suraajhave given them a run for their money he saidKishore claimed that voters who had supported the BJP for decades due to a lack of alternatives had now made up their mindsPeople who were voting for them for 30 years due to a lack of alternatives have made up their minds and you are seeing the effectthe entire BJP has hit the ground in every possible way roaming every street but no one is ready to listen he saidAsked about his confidence in winning the bypoll Kishore said 200 we are going to winMeanwhile BJP leader Guru Prakash said the Bankipur byelection represented a commitment to development continuity security and prosperityIt represents a promise of development continuity security and prosperity It embodies decades of dedication perseverance and sacrifice as well as the trust of families For us Bankipur is not merely an assembly constituency it is a matter of our commitment he saidThis is not just an election for us it is a family event We are confident that just as in the last 30 years the people of Bankipur will once again give their mandate to the BJP and our candidate will emerge victorious Guru Prakash addedJDU MLA Shyam Rajak who cast his vote in the Bankipur Assembly byelection said he was a voter in the constituency and claimed that the election was onesidedI am a voter from Bankipur Our polling booth is here and I have cast my vote today There is no contest here it is a onesided election Rajak saidHigh drama had unfolded late on Wednesday night at Jakkanpur police station after Kishore arrived with supporters and confronted Station House Officer Rituraj Kumar Singh over allegations that multiple Jan Suraaj workers had been detainedKishore had earlier alleged that two party workers were brought to the police station illegally and detained for hours before being transferred elsewhereHe also questioned the police over the lack of information about their whereaboutsVoting for the Bankipur Assembly byelection began on Thursday amid tight securityThe counting of votes will take place on August 3Kishore is contesting the bypoll as the Jan Suraaj candidate while BJPs Neeraj Kumar Sinha is also in the frayThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies 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