Manas Dasgupta
NEW DELHI, Aug 10: Several student protesters claimed to have sustained injuries as police used water cannons, lobbed tear gas shells, and lathi-charged job aspirants in Ranchi on Monday as they breached barricades and closed in on Jharkhand Assembly premises.
The police attempted to stop the protesters using some amount of force as the students protesting against alleged irregularities in recruitment exams, reached the final barricade near Jagannathpur Temple on the road to the assembly. The Jharkhand Loktantrik Krantikari Morcha leader Devendra Nath Mahto, who has been on a hunger strike for nine days, also joined the march to the State Assembly in an ambulance despite losing 10.5 kg. He was seen carrying a portrait of former Jharkhand Chief Minister Shibu Soren.
The Congress leader Rahul Gandhi condemned the alleged use of force against the students in Ranchi. In a post on X, Mr Gandhi said, “The use of force against students protesting in Jharkhand is wrong. Students have a right to peaceful protest, and only dialogue can yield solutions. The Jharkhand government must continue to hear these students out and resolve their issues immediately.”
The Jharkhand government during talks with the students’ delegations on Sunday had agreed to cancel the 14th Jharkhand Public Service Commission (JPSC) preliminary examination and the JPSC backlog examinations held in 2023 and 2025. However, the students remained firm on their demand for a CBI probe into the alleged irregularities in the JSSC-CGL examination and said the agitation would continue. The announcement came even as all three JPSC members resigned and Chief Minister Hemant Soren assured protesters that “justice will be delivered with full transparency.”
Jharkhand Loktantrik Krantikari Morcha (JLKM) and JPSC-JSSC Reforms Manch, said they want cancellation of JSSC-CGL and all exams connected to the TSR Data Processing Private Limited Agency, a blacklisted entity.
The Jharkhand Minister Sudivya Kumar Sonu said the government believes that 98 per cent of the points raised by students have been accepted. He said the government had agreed to several demands raised by the students, including cancellation of the 14th JPSC examination and backlog recruitment examinations of 2023 and 2025, CID and Enforcement Directorate (ED) probe into alleged recruitment irregularities and other demands.
However, the students rejected the government’s proposal, maintaining that their primary demand for a CBI inquiry had not been accepted. Protesting students accused the Jharkhand government of spreading “lies” by claiming it had fulfilled 98 per cent of their demands. A student leader claimed the government had cancelled only three of the 13 examinations whose cancellation was demanded by the protesters.
Student leaders criticised the government’s decision to rely on a CID investigation, alleging that the agency has previously been associated with “cover-ups.” The protesters said an independent probe was necessary to uncover the alleged irregularities and establish accountability.
In view of the students’ protest, the police arrested the former JPSC Chairperson L Khiangte from his residence in Ranchi. Jharkhand. Student groups are demanding a full, independent CBI investigation into the JSSC-CGL exam and broader reforms for both JPSC and JSSC.
As demanded by the agitators, the Enforcement Directorate also has launched a money laundering investigation into alleged irregularities in the conduct of multiple recruitment examinations in Jharkhand particularly the JSSC-CGL examination, officials said on Monday.
They said the central agency took cognisance of a state police CID FIR and some other complaints and charge-sheets to initiate a probe under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). The ED is soon expected to initiate further action, including gathering evidence, summoning those linked to these cases and possibly attaching the accused’s assets, officials said. Students have been agitating in the state for 16 days demanding a CBI probe into alleged irregularities in recruitment examinations, particularly the JSSC-CGL (Jharkhand General Graduate Level Combined Competitive Examination).
After the police baton charge, several students complained of injuries in police action. “My head and legs are hurting, and my head is bleeding,” protester Sanjay Mahto, who was injured in a police lathi-charge, said. “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, said.
The agitators are demanding comprehensive reforms in the Jharkhand Public Service Commission (JPSC) and Jharkhand Staff Selection Commission (JSSC). They are also seeking cancellation of several recruitment tests, including the 14th Jharkhand PSC Civil Services Examination, and an independent probe into the alleged irregularities, either by the CBI or by a panel of retired high court judges from outside the state.
The police, however, claimed that the protesters threw stones at the force. Ranchi City SP Paras Rana said, “90 per cent of the students are peaceful, but 10 per cent are paying no heed to anyone. If 700-1000 students in the crowd are not listening to anyone, not even to their representatives, and have broken barricading – pushing through the barricading and crushing three Police personnel – still Police personnel showed restraint.
“They have also pelted stones at the Police force. Still, we showed minimal aggression for a really short time because they are all only students. I appeal to everyone to be peaceful and not be violent. Your demands are reaching the Govt; do not show aggression. We appeal to the students to protest peacefully and not pelt stones at the police.”
Former Jharkhand Chief Minister and BJP leader Babulal Marandi said: “CID’s arrest of former JPSC chairman L Khiyangte is merely a show. The Hemant government will, like in the case of Vinay Choubey, allow him to get default bail without filing a chargesheet and eventually bury the matter. The students’ demands are not limited to JPSC. Large-scale irregularities have been reported in JSSC examinations, including those for Assistant Teachers, CGL, Excise Constables and PGT posts, with jobs allegedly being sold.
“If the government genuinely wants to take action, it should arrest all three JPSC members, along with former officials Neeraj Sinha and Sudhir Gupta, who were responsible at the commission during the JSSC-CGL examination, as well as Vinod, a close aide of Chief Minister Hemant Soren, who allegedly kept the candidates’ admit cards. JSSC’s in-charge chairman, IAS officer Prashant Kumar, should also be suspended immediately and an FIR registered against him. A CBI probe should be ordered to ensure a fair and impartial investigation into the entire matter.”
The march, which coincided with the 51st birthday of Chief Minister Hemant Soren, began from outside the old assembly building around 10.30 am as the protest over the recruitment exam irregularities entered the 17th day. Objecting to the installation of barbed-wire barricades along the route of the assembly march, Mahto said anger was brewing among students over the injustices done to them. “The government is hell-bent on suppressing our voice. We will not hold any talks now,” he said.
As police used water cannons when the march reached Jagannathpur Temple, the demonstrators broke into dance, waving the national flag. But the situation soon escalated when the protesters attempted to march forward, prompting the police to baton charge. Failing to restrain the gathering, the police fired several rounds of tear gas shells when the protesters were about 200 meters away from the assembly. The JPSC-JSSC Reforms Manch, which is spearheading the agitation, said it has deployed around 500 volunteers to prevent anti-social elements from joining the march.’
State minister Sudivya Kumar claimed that the BJP had “hijacked” the protest for its political ambition. Talking to reporters outside the assembly, he said it was unfortunate that the job aspirants were agitating despite the government fulfilling 95 per cent of their demands. Earlier, replying to a query on the protests in the assembly, Kumar alleged the agitation has shifted from being a students’ movement to one dominated by “BJP’s evil mentality and political designs.”