Police have filed an FIR against 600 protesters in connection with their march towards the Jharkhand Assembly in Ranchi on Thursday. The case names 100 individuals, while the remaining 500 unidentified students and other protesters have also been booked.
The students’ protest against irregularities in Jharkhand’s recruitment examinations entered its 20th day on Thursday, with the agitators refusing to call off the stir until their demands are fully met.
The ‘JPSC-JSSC Reforms Manch’ has been staging a demonstration at the Jaipal Singh Munda Stadium in Ranchi, seeking greater transparency in recruitment examinations, the cancellation of several tests, and an independent probe either by the CBI or a panel of retired judges from outside Jharkhand.
Tensions escalated during the protesters’ march towards the Assembly on Monday, when security personnel used batons, water cannons and tear gas to disperse the agitators. In response to the police action, the BJP subsequently observed a statewide bandh.
Former Chief Minister Raghubar Das on Wednesday threatened to go on a hunger strike if the demand for a CBI probe is not met within a week. The ABVP has also announced plans to hold protests at more than 1,200 universities over the issue.
Das has further demanded compensation of Rs 1 crore each for the families of the 19 people who died during the 2024 excise constable physical examination.
ABVP leaders have raised questions about the credibility of the state-appointed SIT investigating the alleged irregularities, pointing to repeated changes in its composition.
The BJP has accused the Hemant Soren government in Jharkhand of suppressing the movement. The Congress, however, has charged the BJP with politicising the students’ agitation and claimed that it brought workers from outside the state to disrupt the protests.
Meanwhile, JLKM leader Devendra Nath Mahto, who has been on a hunger strike and is receiving hospital treatment after his condition worsened, has sought permission from the Ranchi civil surgeon to return to the protest site.
Mahto stated that his “soul” remains with the students’ movement.Four other students on hunger strike are also undergoing treatment at a hospital.
Earlier, six rounds of talks between the government and student representatives failed to break the deadlock.
