Bihar Bandh Highlights: "Don't fall prey to anyone," Sushil Modi urges protesting students

Patna-based tutor and YouTuber, Khan Sir has been in the eye of a storm for allegedly inciting student protests against the format of tests being conducted by the Railway Recruitment Board for a bunch of jobs called - Non-Technical Popular Categories (RRB NTPC).

Khan Sir is famous for coaching for various competitive examinations using YouTube and digital media to reach out to students. He also runs a popular coaching centre in Patna by the name of 'Khan GS Research Centre' and is famous for his unique teaching style. He has never revealed his real name and most people know him by just the short sobriquet - Khan Sir.

Earlier, some people claimed on social media that his name was Amit Singh. However, some also claimed that his name is Faisal Khan and he was a resident of Gorakhpur in Uttar Pradesh.

Whenever he was asked about his real name, the YouTuber said that the coaching institute he is associated with has refused to divulge any details about his real name or personal contact details.

The authorities in Bihar have registered an FIR against Khan Sir and five teachers for allegedly inciting violence over the controversy surrounding the results of tests conducted by the RRB-NTPC after recent violent protests in Patna.

The FIR against Khan Sir and others was registered on the basis of statements given by agitating students who were detained on Monday and Tuesday in Patna.

They purportedly said they were motivated to participate in violent protests after a video, in which Khan Sir allegedly instigated students to agitate on the streets if the RRB NTPC exams were not cancelled, went viral on social media.

The FIR stated that, on the basis of statements and video clippings accessed by the police, it is evident that "agitating students along with coaching institute owners plotted a conspiracy to carry out large-scale violence in Patna to threaten law and order".

The job aspirants had blocked the New Delhi-Kolkata main railway tracks and some others protested in Bihar's Arrah and Sharif Railway station. Hundreds of angry protesters also allegedly set ablaze a train in Bihar’s Arrah.

After the violence broke on Monday, Khan Sir apparently released a video appealing to students to carry out their protests in a peaceful manner.

He said that if they turned towards violence, no one would support them. Khan Sir, along with other teachers, released another video on Thursday and told the students that there was no point protesting as the Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw has already assured that there would be no second examination for those who have applied for Group D posts, and the results of RRB NTPC-CBT-I would also be revised.

Khan Sir, was seen quoting a tweet of former Bihar Deputy CM Sushil Kumar Modi in which the latter talks about his conversation with the Union Railway Minister.

The result for the RRB-NTPC exam 2021 was announced on January 15. These protests soon took a violent turn as the candidates squatted on railway tracks, set a train on fire and pelted stones at different places in the state.

The Railways also said that all students found involved in vandalism and unlawful activities during these protests shall be barred from future recruitment.

Khan Sir has urged students not to participate in any kind of bandh on Friday as it will be a “wrong step” to take while the government considers their demands and concerns. Issuing a video statement, Khan Sir said, "Ex-Deputy CM Sushil Modi has spoken to the Railway Minister about the issue. He has assured that the NTPC result will be hired 20 times the vacancies as promised i.e  3.5 lakh aspirants will be added. The CBT-2 exam which was added suddenly has also been suspended. PM Modi, the Railway minister is not at fault but RRB is responsible. The decision to form a committee is not keeping the UP elections in mind."

Khan Sir, a prominent teacher of Patna, had alleged that the railway ministry placed an additional exam burden on those who have already cleared their first examination. Following his statement, he along with 15 other teachers of prominent coaching institutes in Patna, were booked for provoking students. Aspirants who indulged in violence and damaged railway property in several parts of the state on Monday and Tuesday had reportedly claimed that they were encouraged after a video of Khan Sir wherein he was seen instigating them to intensify their protest to cancel the RRB-NTPC exams started doing rounds on social media.

The Railway Ministry has formed a high power committee to look into the concerns and doubts raised by job aspirants with regard to the results of the 1st Stage Computer Based Test (CBT) of Centralized Employment Notification (CEN) of Non-Technical Popular Categories (NTPC) issued by Railway Recruitment Boards (RRBs) on January 14-15. The ministry stated that the Committee would go through the following issues raised by candidates and give recommendations on results of 1st Stage of CBT of NTPC and method used for shortlisting candidates for the 2nd Stage CBT without affecting existing shortlisted candidates and introduction of 2nd Stage CBT. The candidates can ALSO lodge their concerns and suggestions to the committee at rrbcommittee@railnet.gov.in, said the ministry.

The Indian Youth Congress (IYC) on Thursday submitted a complaint to the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) alleging violation of human rights of the aspirants of the RRB NTPC exam at the hands of Bihar and Uttar Pradesh Police.

The complaint stated that students across India have been protesting since January 25, 2021, against the manner in which the Railway Ministry is conducting the RRB NTPC exams. Against this, the police have cracked down upon the students.

 As many as four people have been arrested for pelting stones and vandalism at Rajendra Nagar Terminal in Bihar's Patna for staging a protest against alleged discrepancies in the Railway Recruitment Board's NTPC stage 1 exam results, said Patna District Magistrate Chandrashekhar Singh. Speaking to the reporters, Singh said, "4 people have been arrested for pelting stones and vandalism at Rajendra Nagar Terminal, Patna on January 24."

An FIR has been registered against Youtuber Khan Sir, 16 students and some unidentified persons for inciting the mob that indulged in vandalism, set trains on fire and caused extensive damage to the railway property in Bihar in the last three days. Besides Khan Sir, S K Jha, Navin, Amarnath, Gagan Pratap and Gopal Verma, all teachers have been named as accused in the FIR. They have been booked under sections 147, 148, 151, 152, 186, 187, 188, 323, 332, 353, 504, 506 and 120 (B) of IPC.

"FIRs against teachers like Khan Sir could further provoke students for undeclared agitations in Bihar. The time has come for the governments to talk on unemployment and come-out with a solution", Manjhi said.

In a joint statement issued on Thursday, the RJD, Congress, CPI and CPI(M) said, "Bihar has the most number of young people in the country and has the highest unemployment rate. Students are being cheated by the Central as well as Bihar governments. It keeps promising jobs for them but when they come out on the streets demanding jobs, the Nitish Kumar government rains baton on them."

They also demand that "all FIRs registered against students or coaching institutes by the state police must be withdrawn immediately". Echoing similar view, AISA General Secretary and MLA Sandeep Saurav said that the committee formed by the railway ministry to look into the irregularities in the RRB-NTPC exam, is a "conspiracy" to postpone the matter till elections are over in UP.