Jharkhand BJP has called for a state-wide bandh on August 11 to protest the police action against students and job aspirants demonstrating against alleged irregularities in JPSC and JSSC recruitment examinations.
The bandh was announced on Monday evening by Jharkhand Leader of Opposition Babulal Marandi and state BJP president Aditya Sahu at a press conference in Ranchi. The announcement came hours after police used water cannons, tear gas and lathi-charge to disperse protesters who marched towards the Jharkhand Assembly.
The protesters, demanding action over alleged irregularities in recruitment examinations, broke through several barricades during the ‘Vidhan Sabha Gherao’ march. Police said some protesters also pelted stones, injuring four personnel.
BJP Announces Bandh After Lathi-Charge
The BJP has strongly criticised the police action and accused the Hemant Soren government of using force against students instead of addressing their grievances.
Babulal Marandi said the lathi-charge could prove to be the “final nail in the coffin” for the JMM-Congress government in Jharkhand. The BJP has also demanded a CBI probe into the alleged examination irregularities and urged the government to address the students’ demands.
The bandh call came as political parties reacted sharply to the clashes outside the Assembly.
Congress leader and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi also criticised the use of force against the protesters. In a post on X, Gandhi said students have a right to peaceful protest and that their issues should be resolved through dialogue.
“The use of force against students protesting in Jharkhand is wrong. Students have a right to peaceful protest, and only dialogue can yield solutions,” Gandhi said.
Students Face Water Cannons, Tear Gas and Lathi-Charge
Thousands of JPSC and JSSC aspirants marched towards the Jharkhand Assembly on Monday as part of the ‘Vidhan Sabha Gherao’ protest.
Police deployed multiple barricades to stop the protesters. The students breached several of them, following which water cannons and tear gas were used. Police later carried out a lathi-charge when sections of the crowd attempted to cross the final barricade.
Several protesters claimed they were injured during the police action. One protester alleged that female students were also hit during the lathi-charge.
Police, however, said the force used was limited and came after some protesters allegedly broke through barricades and pelted stones.
Ranchi City SP Paras Rana said around 90 per cent of the students remained peaceful, while a section of protesters refused to follow appeals from organisers and police. He claimed that three to four policemen were injured, including two who suffered head injuries requiring stitches.
Hunger-Striking Student Leader Hospitalised
JLKM leader and student activist Devendra Nath Mahto, who has been on hunger strike for nine days over the alleged recruitment examination irregularities, was hospitalised after participating in the Assembly march.
Doctors at Ranchi Sadar Hospital described his condition as critical after a drastic fall in his blood sugar level. Medical Officer Nancy Priya said Mahto was being treated in the emergency ward.
Despite his deteriorating health, Mahto joined the protest after arriving at the site in an ambulance and later participated in the march on a stretcher.
During the protest, he accused the government of trying to suppress the students’ movement and said the agitation would continue until their demands were addressed.
Government Accuses BJP of Hijacking Protest
Jharkhand Higher and Technical Education Minister Sudivya Kumar accused the BJP of “hijacking” the students’ agitation for political gains.
Speaking in the Assembly, Kumar said the government had held several rounds of discussions with the protesting students and alleged that the BJP had misled them into escalating the protest.
Minister Deepika Pandey Singh also said the government respected the right to protest but maintained that some demands, including cancellation of the JSSC-CGL examination, involved legal complications.
Meanwhile, Jharkhand CID arrested former JPSC chairperson L Khiangte on Monday in connection with alleged irregularities in recruitment examinations. The arrest came amid the continuing student agitation.
ED Also Begins Probe Into Exam Irregularities
The Enforcement Directorate has also initiated a money laundering investigation into alleged irregularities in multiple Jharkhand recruitment examinations, particularly the JSSC-CGL examination.
The agency has reportedly taken cognisance of an FIR registered by the state CID along with other complaints and chargesheets and begun proceedings under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act.
With the BJP’s bandh scheduled for August 11 and the ABVP also announcing a protest outside the Jharkhand Assembly, tensions over the recruitment examination controversy are expected to continue.
The students have been demanding accountability over the alleged irregularities and have called for stronger action, including an independent probe into the examinations.
