Jharkhand exam row: Mahto joins thousands in ‘Vidhan Sabha Gherao’; police lathicharge protesters, use water cannons & tear gas

Thousands of job aspirants protesting alleged irregularities in recruitment examinations in Jharkhand marched towards the state assembly on Monday, as the agitation entered its 17th day amid heightened security and a continuing deadlock between the protesters and the government.

The demonstrators gathered outside the old assembly complex in Dhurwa and began marching towards the new Vidhan Sabha building, raising slogans and carrying the tricolour and placards. The march coincides with Chief Minister Hemant Soren’s 51st birthday.

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

The latest: Protesters close in on Assembly amid lathicharge, tear gas

The JPSC-JSSC aspirants’ protest escalated on Monday as demonstrators moved closer to the Jharkhand Assembly premises amid police lathicharge and tear-gas firing.

Jharkhand CID has arrested former Jharkhand Public Service Commission (JPSC) chairperson L Khiangte in connection with alleged irregularities in recruitment examinations, a senior CID officer said, as per PTI.

Earlier, police had used water cannons to disperse protesters after they broke through three layers of barricading and continued towards the Assembly. Despite the action, the students pressed ahead with the march, with protesters also seen dancing during the demonstration.

"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," PTI reported, citing Piyush Kumar Soni, a protester.

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

The march began from the old Assembly complex in Dhurwa, with protesters moving towards the new Vidhan Sabha building.

Authorities had imposed prohibitory orders along the nearly 4-km route and deployed more than 1,500 personnel from the Rapid Action Force, Indian Reserve Battalion, district police and Quick Response Teams, officials said.

Most schools in Ranchi were also closed amid the protest and security arrangements.

Mahto joins Assembly march after 9-day hunger strike; urges protesters to remain peaceful

Devendra Nath Mahto joined the protesting JPSC-JSSC aspirants’ ‘Vidhan Sabha Gherao’ march in Ranchi on Monday, despite having been on a hunger strike at the Jaipal Singh Munda Stadium, the main protest site, for the past nine days.

Mahto, who has been leading the agitation over alleged irregularities in recruitment examinations, joined the march as thousands of job aspirants headed towards the Jharkhand Assembly.

Mahto appealed to students not to do anything that could lead to a mishap or bloodshed during the protest.

Mahto said the government should take a decision on the students’ demands, warning that the agitation would continue otherwise. He also questioned why the government was “inviting anarchy” by not accepting the protesters’ demands.

He has been on a fast for nine days over the recruitment examination issue and joined Monday’s march despite his deteriorating physical condition.

According to the protesters, he has lost 10.5 kg during the hunger strike.

The protest has now entered its third week, with demonstrators continuing to press for an independent probe and wider reforms in the state’s recruitment examination system.

Why are Jharkhand job aspirants protesting?

The agitation is centred on alleged irregularities in various recruitment examinations conducted by the JPSC and JSSC.

Also Read: Jharkhand govt to recommend ED probe, set up fast-track court

The protesters are demanding comprehensive reforms in both recruitment bodies and cancellation of several examinations, including the 14th Jharkhand PSC Civil Services Examination.

They are also seeking an independent investigation into the alleged irregularities, either by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) or a panel of retired high court judges from outside Jharkhand.

“We will not compromise till our demand for a CBI probe is fulfilled,” JPSC-JSSC Reforms Manch leader Ravindra Paswan said.

Government says 98% demands accepted, protesters disagree

The protest has continued despite several rounds of talks between the state government and the demonstrators.

Following the latest round of deliberations, the government said it had accepted 98 per cent of the protesters’ demands.

The protesters, however, said the government had agreed to cancel only three of the 13 examinations they want scrapped.

The disagreement over the remaining demands has kept the deadlock in place as the agitation entered its 17th day.

LoP Babulal Marandi, BJP leaders detained amid exam row protest

Leader of Opposition in the Jharkhand Assembly Babulal Marandi and several BJP leaders were detained by state police during a protest outside Chief Minister Hemant Soren’s residence over alleged irregularities in JPSC and JSSC examinations.

Also Read: LoP Babulal Marandi, BJP leaders detained amid protests outside CM's residence

Marandi said students were continuing their protest while alleging that the government was trying to divert attention from their demands. He called for a CBI probe into the JPSC, JSSC and CGL examinations.

The BJP protest followed a party meeting in Ranchi and coincided with the ‘Vidhan Sabha Gherao’ march by the JPSC-JSSC Reform Morcha at Jaipal Singh Munda Stadium.

Earlier, BJP spokesperson Pratul Shah Deo had warned the JMM-led government against using force against student protesters amid heightened security arrangements for the march. He urged Hemant Soren to accept the students’ demands, including cancellation of examinations conducted by outsourcing agency TDPL and a CBI probe into alleged irregularities.

Shah Deo also alleged that BJP MP Aditya Sahu had been placed under house arrest. He criticised the heavy security deployment and warned that any police action against protesters would draw a strong response from BJP workers.

The protesting aspirants have maintained that their key demands, including cancellation of the JSSC-CGL examination, a CBI investigation into alleged irregularities and reforms in the recruitment process, have not been fully accepted by the state government.

(With inputs from ANI, PTI)