Thousands of job aspirants protesting alleged irregularities in Jharkhand recruitment examinations clashed with police near the state Assembly on Monday. Security forces used water cannons, tear gas and lathi charges to prevent the demonstrators from reaching the legislature. Carrying the national flag and placards calling for the cancellation of recruitment exams and an independent investigation, the protesters broke through several barricades despite a heavy security presence. Several demonstrators claimed they were injured during the police action.
The protest took place while the Jharkhand Assembly was in session and also coincided with Chief Minister Hemant Soren’s 51st birthday.
The march began at around 10.30 am from outside the old Assembly building and moved towards the present Assembly complex. Protesters crossed multiple barricades as security personnel tried to control the crowd. When the march reached the last barricade near Jagannathpur Temple, police used water cannons. Protesters initially waved tricolours and danced in response, but the situation became tense when they attempted to advance towards the Assembly.
Police subsequently resorted to lathi charges and fired several rounds of tear gas shells when the protesters were around 200 metres from the Assembly. Several demonstrators alleged that police personnel struck them on their heads, arms and faces.
Vikram Kumar, who had travelled from Hazaribag, said he sustained a head injury during the police action. “Whatever the Hemant Soren government is doing to us is not good. We were protesting peacefully; then why is your police baton charging us?” he asked.
PROTESTERS DEMAND CANCELLATION OF EXAMS
The agitation, led by the JPSC-JSSC Reforms Manch, has continued for more than two weeks over alleged irregularities in recruitment examinations.
The protesters are seeking sweeping reforms in the Jharkhand Public Service Commission (JPSC) and Jharkhand Staff Selection Commission (JSSC). They have also called for the cancellation of multiple recruitment examinations, including the 14th Jharkhand PSC Civil Services Examination.
They have demanded an independent inquiry into the alleged irregularities, either by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) or a committee of retired high court judges from outside Jharkhand.
According to the protesters, the government has agreed to cancel only three of the 13 examinations they want scrapped.
Placards carried during Monday’s march included messages such as: “Cancel JSSC-CGL Exams or Conduct a CBI Probe”, “Why is CID escaping from conducting a raid on JSSC?” and “Conduct an impartial investigation, bring out the truth.”
MAHTO JOINS MARCH IN AMBULANCE
JLKM leader Devendra Nath Mahto, who has been on a hunger strike for nine days over the issue, joined the ‘Vidhan Sabha gherao’ march in an ambulance and participated in the protest while on a stretcher. He was also seen carrying a portrait of former chief minister Shibu Soren.
Addressing protesters during the march, Mahto said the agitation would continue until their demands were fulfilled and described it as having developed into a “mass movement”.
“You can see the pain of students in this Vidhan Sabha march. Even after nine days of my hunger strike, I came here in an ambulance, and I am part of this march on a stretcher. But this government is crushing our voice and using water cannons and tear gas shells. This is condemnable,” he said.
Mahto accused the government of being afraid of the protesters and said, “Sarkar jab jab darti hai, tab tab police ko aage karti hai” (Whenever the government is scared, it pushes the police to the front).
He said the protesters had already held three rounds of discussions with the government and called on it to fulfil their demands.
“We will continue to march ahead. We had three rounds of discussions with the government; they should meet our demands. If students’ demands are not met, the CM post will be under threat. Government will be shaken, this agitation is not going to stop. This has become a mass movement,” Mahto said.
Using a wordplay involving the Hindi terms for youth and wind, he added, “The palindrome of ‘Yuva’ (youth) is ‘Vayu’ (wind) – nobody can stop Vayu.”
Mahto had earlier criticised the installation of barbed-wire barricades along the Assembly march route, saying students were becoming increasingly angry over what they described as injustices against them.
ED, CID PROBES ADD TO PRESSURE ON GOVERNMENT
The protests have intensified alongside fresh developments in investigations into the alleged recruitment irregularities. The Enforcement Directorate on Monday initiated a money laundering investigation into alleged irregularities in several recruitment examinations, particularly the JSSC-CGL examination, officials said.
The agency took cognisance of an FIR filed by the state CID, along with other complaints and chargesheets, to begin an investigation under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act. Officials said the ED is likely to collect evidence, summon individuals connected to the cases and examine the possibility of attaching assets belonging to accused persons.
The Jharkhand CID also arrested former JPSC chairperson L Khiangte on Monday in connection with the alleged irregularities.
The CID had questioned Khiangte four times since July 28 and conducted raids at 18 locations across Ranchi, Palamu, Hazaribag, Bokaro and Dhanbad.
Before Khiangte’s arrest, the state agency had detained 14 people as part of the investigation. The JPSC had also postponed the Combined Civil Services Mains Examination, scheduled for July 25-27, citing “unavoidable circumstances” amid the protests.
All three JPSC members — Ajeeta Bhattacharya, Anima Hansda and Jamal Ahmad — resigned on Sunday after being summoned by the CID for questioning over allegations including paper leaks.
With protesters continuing to insist on their demands while the government maintains that most of their concerns have already been addressed, the standoff remains unresolved as the Assembly session continues.
