Jharkhand student protest: Cops use tear gas as job aspirants march towards assembly

Ranchi: Police used tear gas and water cannons as thousands of job aspirants protesting alleged irregularities in Jharkhand recruitment examinations breached barricades and tried to march towards the state Assembly on Monday.

The protesters clashed with police near Jagannathpur Temple, the final barricade on the route to the new Assembly Complex, after breaking through multiple layers of security. Several demonstrators claimed they were injured during the police action.

The march began around 10.30 am from outside the old Assembly building as the agitation over alleged recruitment exam irregularities entered its 17th day. The protest also coincided with Chief Minister Hemant Soren's 51st birthday.

JLKM leader Devendra Nath Mahto, who has been on a hunger strike for nine days over the issue, joined the march in an ambulance. He was seen carrying a portrait of former chief minister Shibu Soren.

Armed with tricolours and placards demanding cancellation of the JSSC-CGL examination or a CBI probe, the protesters broke through one barricade after another despite heavy security deployment.

As police used water cannons and tear gas near Jagannathpur Temple, demonstrators waved the national flag and danced. The situation later escalated when protesters attempted to advance towards the Assembly, following which police resorted to baton charging.

"The baton charge was barbaric. We were protesting peacefully, but the government used batons against us. They can only inflict physical injuries, not harm our thoughts," Piyush Kumar Soni, a protester, told PTI.

"Many female students sustained injuries. Police hit us on our head, arms, face everywhere," he claimed.

Vikram Kumar, who came from Hazaribag district, claimed to have sustained a head injury.

"Whatever the Hemant Soren government is doing to us is not good. We were protesting peacefully; then why is your police baton charging us," he asked.

Another protester said, "If we cannot reach the assembly, our voices must reach them. We do not fear the government, which is treating us like traitors. We have been compelled to take to the streets."

The protesters are demanding comprehensive reforms in the Jharkhand Public Service Commission (JPSC) and Jharkhand Staff Selection Commission (JSSC), besides seeking cancellation of several recruitment examinations and an independent probe into alleged irregularities.

The JPSC-JSSC Reforms Manch, which is leading the agitation, said it had deployed around 500 volunteers to prevent anti-social elements from joining the march.

The outfit's leader Ravindra Paswan said attempts were being made by anti-social elements to disrupt the demonstrations.

More than 1,500 personnel from the Rapid Action Force, Indian Reserve Battalion, district police and Quick Reaction Teams have been deployed along the roughly four-kilometre stretch, officials said. Prohibitory orders have also been imposed.

The government has held several rounds of talks with the protesters but failed to resolve the deadlock. After the latest discussions, the government said it had accepted 98 per cent of the protesters' demands.

However, the agitators claimed that the government had agreed to cancel only three of the 13 examinations they wanted scrapped.

Meanwhile, Jharkhand CID arrested former JPSC chairperson L Khiangte in connection with alleged irregularities in recruitment examinations, a senior official of the state probe agency said. Khiangte, who was appointed JPSC chairperson in February last year after retiring as Jharkhand's chief secretary, resigned from the post on July 22.

JLKM MLA Jairam Kumar Mahato said the protesters were fundamentally students and would end their agitation once their demands were addressed.

"Fundamentally, they are students. As for the opposition parties, indirect support will always be there; that happens with every government. But fundamentally, they are students; it's their agitation, and once their demands are met, they won't agitate anymore," ANI quoted him saying.

"I am going there (to the 'Vidhan Sabha Gherao' march of students), I will come back and tell you what the matter is," he added.