RANCHI: High drama and confrontation unfolded on the streets of Ranchi on Monday as thousands of students marching toward the Jharkhand Legislative Assembly were met with police water cannons and a stern lathi-charge. The demonstration, organized to demand a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into alleged irregularities in the Jharkhand Public Service Commission (JPSC) and Jharkhand Staff Selection Commission (JSSC) examinations, effectively brought key parts of the state capital to a standstill.
Barricades Breached as Protests Escalate
Gathering early in the morning near the Old Assembly building, thousands of student agitators—many carrying the national tricolour—began their march toward the Vidhan Sabha around 10:40 AM. The administration had already enforced strict security measures, closing local schools and imposing prohibitory orders restricting gatherings within a 750-meter radius of the Legislative Assembly until August 12.
Despite the heavy deployment of security forces and multiple layers of barbed-wire barricades, determined students pushed through the initial security rings near the Jagannathpur Temple road. Police initially deployed water cannons to disperse the advancing crowd. However, as agitators continued to press toward the final barricade near the Assembly, security personnel launched a full-scale lathi-charge to quell the demonstration.
While police authorities reported that four personnel sustained injuries due to stone-pelting by the crowd, several student protesters alleged widespread police brutality. Injured agitators, including female students and out-station candidates, reported suffering head and limb injuries during the baton charge.
Talks Fail to Break Deadlock
The violence followed a breakdown in negotiations between state officials and student representatives. Although government officials claimed they had accepted 98% of the students' demands, protesters pointed out that the administration agreed to cancel only three out of the 13 examinations in question.
"We will not compromise until our demand for a CBI probe into the exam scam is fulfilled," declared JPSC-JSSC Reforms Manch leader Ravindra Paswan, urging students to remain firm in their agitation.
Adding emotional weight to the march, student leader Devendra Nath Mahto—who has been on a hunger strike for nine days over recruitment irregularities—arrived at the protest site in an ambulance, holding a portrait of former Chief Minister Shibu Soren.
"I am a common man, but the barbed wires hurt more than the hunger strike," Mahto said, appealing directly to Chief Minister Hemant Soren. "Today is CM Hemant Soren's birthday, and he should not take steps that result in bloodshed. Arrest is a legal process, but using force against peaceful students will kill democracy." Mahto's condition later deteriorated in the evening, requiring emergency hospital treatment.
Political Backlash and Statewide Bandh Call
The police action triggered immediate political reverberations across the state and nationally. Senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders, including state president Aditya Sahu and Babulal Marandi, staged a sit-in demonstration outside the Chief Minister's residence demanding a CBI probe, resulting in their brief detention by police.
In New Delhi, Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, strongly criticized the state government's handling of the protest. In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Gandhi emphasized that force against protesting students is unacceptable and urged the Jharkhand government to resolve their grievances through dialogue.
Meanwhile, in a major development related to the investigation, the Jharkhand Crime Investigation Department (CID) arrested former JPSC chairperson L. Khiangte in connection with recruitment examination irregularities. Khiangte, a former state Chief Secretary, had resigned from his post on July 22.
Further Agitation Announced
The crisis appears far from over. The Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) announced plans for a peaceful 'Assembly Gherao' on Tuesday to protest the police action and demand accountability for the exam irregularities. Furthermore, the BJP has called for a statewide 16-hour Jharkhand Bandh on Tuesday from 8:00 AM until midnight, excluding essential services, to protest against the police lathi-charge on students.
