Ranchi: More than 100 workers of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) were detained on Tuesday while marching towards the Jharkhand Assembly, a day after police used lathis, water cannons and tear gas against students protesting alleged irregularities in recruitment examinations.
The ABVP workers began their procession from the Old Vidhan Sabha area and were stopped by police as they attempted to proceed towards the New Vidhan Sabha. The detention came amid continuing protests by students and job aspirants demanding reforms and action over alleged irregularities in examinations conducted for government recruitment.
The latest protest followed Monday’s confrontation between police and JPSC and JSSC aspirants during a march to gherao the Assembly. The protesters had breached multiple barricades while attempting to reach the Assembly, prompting police to use water cannons, tear gas and baton charges.
Student leader Devendra Nath Mahto, who had been on hunger strike for nine days, also participated in Monday’s march despite his deteriorating health. Mahto was subsequently admitted to a hospital in Ranchi after his condition worsened. Reports said he had lost around 10.5 kg during his hunger strike.
The protests have been continuing for nearly a fortnight, with students demanding action over alleged irregularities in recruitment examinations and seeking a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe. The agitation has also raised questions over the use of a company allegedly blacklisted by the Jharkhand Staff Selection Commission (JSSC) in connection with examination-related work.
The state government has held several rounds of discussions with protesting groups. The government has agreed to cancel the 14th JPSC preliminary examination and backlog examinations from 2023 and 2025, while also proposing other measures to address concerns over recruitment examinations. The protesters, however, have continued to demand a CBI investigation and broader action on the alleged irregularities.
Meanwhile, the political fallout from Monday’s police action has also intensified. BJP leaders have stepped up their criticism of the Hemant Soren-led government, with Jharkhand Assembly Opposition leader and BJP leader Babulal Marandi asking the Congress to withdraw its support to the state government if it was serious about the students’ demands.
Congress leader and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi also criticised the police action. “We condemn any violence against peacefully protesting students,” Gandhi said at a press conference in Delhi.
The controversy spilled into the Jharkhand Assembly on Tuesday, where proceedings were disrupted amid protests by BJP legislators over the police action against the students. Speaker Rabindra Nath Mahato adjourned the House twice before it was eventually adjourned sine die, a day ahead of the scheduled conclusion. When the House resumed after 2 pm, ruling and opposition legislators entered the well and raised slogans against each other.
The issue also triggered a political confrontation in Parliament on Tuesday. NDA and INDIA bloc MPs staged rival protests at the main entrance of Parliament over the Jharkhand student protests and other issues. NDA MPs targeted Rahul Gandhi, while opposition MPs sought accountability from Union Home Minister Amit Shah over alleged police excesses during student protests.
The continuing agitation has therefore moved beyond the recruitment examination issue, becoming a wider political confrontation over examination transparency, the government’s response to student demands and the use of force during protests.
