Massive student march in Ranchi reaches Assembly gate no 1

CM accuses BJP of scoring brownie points

BJP calls for statewide bandh today

Several agitators and four policemen were injured during a clash near the Jharkhand Assembly on Monday, as police used water cannons, tear gas and lathi-charge against job aspirants protesting alleged irregularities in recruitment examinations.

Chief Minister Hemant Soren, who turned 51 on Monday, criticised opposition BJP, saying protesting job aspirants were being misled. On the other hand, the BJP has called for a Jharkhand bandh on Tuesday to protest against “police atrocities” and lathi-charge on students agitating over alleged irregularities in recruitment examinations in the state.

BJP state president Aditya Sahu said the bandh will be effective from 8 am till midnight on Tuesday.

Chief Minister Hemant Soren lashed out at the saffron brigade, accusing its leaders of trying to mislead youth for political gains.

Soren, in a social media post, also appealed to the protesters to resolve their grievances through dialogue and trust. “I … understand that amidst your peaceful movement, some people from the opposition tried to spoil the atmosphere and mislead students for political gains. I appeal to all of you not to fall into the trap of any such political narrative. You are the future of Jharkhand,” Soren said in a post on X.

The scene of protest

Tens of thousands of students, estimated between 20,000 and 25,000, marched toward the Jharkhand Assembly on Monday, breaking through several police barricades and reaching Gate No. 1, the high-security entrance used by the Chief Minister, as anger over alleged irregularities in state recruitment examinations boiled over.

The protest, which began as a demonstration against alleged paper leaks and lack of transparency in JPSC and JSSC recruitment exams, turned into a prolonged standoff with the administration through the day. Police deployed tear gas, water cannons and lathi-charges at multiple points to hold back the crowd, but protesters regrouped repeatedly, breaking through barricade after barricade to press forward.

Police used water cannons, tear gas and lathi-charged job aspirants protesting alleged irregularities in recruitment examinations after they breached multiple barricades during a march and reached near the Jharkhand Assembly on Monday, officials said.

At Yogda College, demonstrators dismantled eight barricades before continuing their march. As the crowd swelled and pushed ahead, security personnel struggled to contain them across further layers of barricading.

One police officer, Sanjay Kumar, and four students were injured, including one student with a minor head injury. The injured were taken to hospital in ambulances that had been kept on standby.

Protesters who could not proceed along the main route cut through agricultural fields to find alternative approaches to the Assembly, while others stood their ground in front of water cannons rather than retreat.

By evening, thousands had reached Gate No. 1, a scale of breach not seen in previous rounds of agitation by student groups in the state. A section of the crowd began a sit-in on the road near the Assembly following an appeal from JLKM leader Jairam Mahto.

ADG Manoj Kaushik and the Ranchi SSP made repeated appeals to the protesters to disperse, noting that the Assembly session had already been adjourned and legislators had left the premises. The appeals did not persuade the demonstrators, who stayed put near the Assembly complex.

Situation turns tense after dark

After sunset, once most media crews had left the site, police carried out a heavy lathi-charge to clear protesters who remained at the Assembly gate in violation of prohibitory orders issued under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita.

Students alleged that police chased them for nearly a kilometre during the operation, leaving several more people injured. The injured were shifted to RIMS for treatment.

Talks fail to resolve deadlock

Monday’s escalation followed the breakdown of three rounds of talks between student representatives and the state government. The government has said it has accepted around 98 per cent of the protesters’ demands, but the students maintain that core issues remain unaddressed, chiefly their demand for a CBI probe into alleged examination irregularities and paper leaks, along with broader action on disputed recruitment exams.

Key demands of JPSC-JSSC aspirants

• Cancellation of the 14th JPSC examination and backlog examinations conducted between 2023 and 2025.
• Cancellation of all examinations conducted through TDPL, the agency appointed by JPSC.
• CBI probe into alleged examination irregularities, with legal proceedings through a Fast-Track Court.
• ED/CBI probe against TDPL marketing manager Abhay Tiwari.
• Review and re-evaluation of the 11th JPSC Civil Services Main Examination.
• Transfer of existing JPSC and JSSC officials and staff and appointment of fresh personnel.

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