Shocked and upset by the comment on the job aspirants and the BPSC, the Bihar Public Service Commission (BPSC) has erupted into a political storm as the Leader of the Opposition and Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Tejashwi Yadav’s party demanded a public apology from suspended BPSC Examination Controller Rajesh Kumar for his controversial statement.
The whole episode has only added fuel to the mounting anger among thousands of students and competitive examination aspirants who have been protesting in Patna over alleged irregularities in the recruitment and examination process.
The dispute started when Rajesh Kumar was grilled about paper leaks, examination irregularities, and questions about the 70th BPSC examination. In response to students and opposition leaders, Kumar said in Hindi: “Haathi chale bazaar, kutte bhonke hazaar,” which translates to “An elephant walks through the market while a thousand dogs bark.” The statement was widely seen as dismissive and insulting to students and job aspirants who have been protesting against the commission's functioning.
Students, opposition parties, and social activists were shocked at the comment. The statement was viewed as an attempt to belittle the issues of candidates who have been demanding accountability and transparency in Bihar’s recruitment examinations. Social media platforms were flooded with criticism, and people questioned how officials are approaching unemployed youth looking to get government jobs and how this is not a good thing.
Tejashwi Yadav strongly reacted to the controversy and accused the Bihar government of being indifferent to the problems faced by students and unemployed youth. Speaking to the media, he said the language used by the BPSC official reflected the attitude of the state government, and he wants Rajesh Kumar to be removed from the position. Public servants have to respect citizens, especially young people in the process of preparing for competitive exams in order to get jobs, he said.
The RJD leader also claimed that the state administration had repeatedly failed to respond to concerns of examination-related controversies. He said the system has been undermined by several examples of paper leaks, recruitment irregularities, and administrative misconduct.
The Bihar government moved fast and suspended Rajesh Kumar on August 24 after his controversial remarks were widely publicised. Although the suspension was seen by many as a response to public anger, demonstrators and opposition leaders who protested said more accountability measures were needed to restore confidence in the examination process.
At the moment, large-scale protests are taking place in the Gardanibagh area of Patna. Teacher Recruitment Examination (TRE-4) aspirants who are going for the fourth stage of the Teacher Recruitment Examination (TRE-4) would like the examination to be carried out in a single step rather than in multiple stages. They have argued for a single, transparent recruitment process and for action against those who may have been granted appointments by unfair means.
The Bihar Public Service Commission had recently announced recruitment for more than 32,000 teaching positions under TRE-4; applications were to start on September 1. But the announcement has not been enough to pacify the agitating candidates, who insist that some of the issues are not resolved. Protesters insist that a single-tier examination system would be fair and would reduce confusion among applicants.
#WATCH | Patna: On Bihar exam officer's 'Dogs Bark' remark for protesters, Bihar Assembly LoP and RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav says, "The language used by the official is such that he should be removed immediately. In a democracy, students have the right to protest. Yet, BPSC… pic.twitter.com/8Mx5QHFmAG
— ANI (@ANI) August 24, 2026
Bihar’s previous disputes have also come up again in the current controversy. Opposition leaders have repeatedly questioned the government’s conduct regarding the 70th BPSC examination and other recruitment tests. They say if the state is not transparent and accountable, public confidence in the recruitment systems will also be weakened.
The “cockroach controversy” has taken on a new dimension after Chief Justice of India Surya Kant made a comment about it in a hearing. The unemployed youth and anti-social elements were referred to as “cockroaches,” and the protesters were in revolt. Agitating youth groups formed the Cockroach Janta Party, and the term has become a symbol of protest against what they say is a dismissive attitude towards job-seekers.
The BPSC official’s comment has become a focal point in Bihar’s wider debate on unemployment, recruitment transparency, and governance. As protests continue and political tensions rise, the issue is likely to remain at the centre of Bihar’s political discourse in the coming weeks.
