Police resorted to a lathi charge and water cannons to disperse student protesters in Ranchi on Monday after they broke through barricades in an attempt to reach the Jharkhand Assembly. This occurred even though Chief Minister Hemant Soren had stated that dialogue, rather than force, can resolve all issues within the state.
With their careers affected by paper leaks and irregularities, the students had planned the assembly siege to demand reforms in recruitment examinations.
Student leader Devendra Mahto, who had been on a hunger strike, urged the protesters not to argue with the police if stopped and instead to find alternative routes to the assembly in an orderly manner.
As police deployed water cannons to halt the protesters, some students began dancing while facing the gushing water, recalling similar scenes from the NEET protests in Patna.
Thousands of students had reached the state capital from various districts this morning in large numbers, travelling by trains, buses and other vehicles to take part in the demonstration.
Student protestors breaks police barricade
Earlier, student protesters broke through a police barricade near the Old Assembly building in Ranchi on Monday as they marched towards the new Assembly building for their planned ‘Vidhan Sabha Gherao’ protest over alleged irregularities in JPSC and JSSC examinations.
Several students had gathered at the Old State Assembly building to participate in the march on August 10. The protesters, associated with the ‘JPSC JSSC Reform Manch’, have been demanding action over the alleged irregularities in the recruitment examinations.
During the march, student protesters broke through the police barricade near the Old Assembly building and proceeded towards the new Assembly building.
The protesters were seen wearing customised white T-shirts bearing the word “VOLUNTEER” as they prepared to take part in the demonstration.
Fasting activist joins march on stretcher
Fasting activist Devendra Nath Mahto also joined the Jharkhand Assembly march after being brought to the protest site in an ambulance following a nine-day hunger strike.
Mahto, who has been on an indefinite fast for the past nine days, was carried by students on a stretcher as the protest march continued towards the Jharkhand Assembly.
Speaking from the stretcher, Mahto said the protesters would not be stopped and asserted that the government would have to accept their demands.
Meanwhile, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders were detained by police on Monday while protesting outside Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren’s residence over the alleged JPSC-JSSC irregularities.
A student participating in Vidhan Sabha gherao march, said, “We have been stopped here but we will head towards the Vidhan Sabha peacefully. Until our demands are met, we will not stop. We demand that JSSC-CGL exam be cancelled, that there be CBI investigation.”
Speaking to ANI from inside a vehicle en route to the assembly premises, student leader Ravindra Paswan reiterated that thousands of aspirants from all 24 districts of the state have assembled in Ranchi to demand transparent recruitment practices.
Bureau Report
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