Protests against alleged JPSC and JSSC recruitment irregularities intensify in Jharkhand. ABVP led a march, clashing with police. The agitation follows a police crackdown, prompting a BJP-led shutdown and demands for a CBI investigation.
Protests Escalate Over Recruitment Irregularities
A day after the police crackdown on student aspirants protesting against alleged recruitment irregularities in JPSC and JSSC, political and civil unrest intensified across Jharkhand on Tuesday as the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) led a protest march from the Old Vidhan Sabha to the New Vidhan Sabha over irregularities in the state’s competitive exams for government posts.
The renewed demonstrations follow a dramatic “Vidhan Sabha gherao” march in Ranchi on Monday by protestors demanding a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) investigation into alleged recruitment irregularities in the Jharkhand Public Service Commission (JPSC) and the Jharkhand Staff Selection Commission (JSSC).
ABVP workers clashed with police personnel during their protest. Several demonstrators even climbed the police bus. Tensions heightened when protestors were detained by the police, with many vowing to continue the fight until the state government addresses the situation. The use of water cannons and lathi charges during yesterday’s march drew widespread condemnation.
Political Blame Game Erupts
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) launched a state-wide shutdown on Tuesday. BJP workers blocked Ratu Road in Ranchi to protest the previous day’s police action before security forces intervened to clear the thoroughfare. The ongoing agitation continues to be fueled by the students, who have gathered from all 24 districts of the state and are demanding the cancellation of the JSSC CGL examination and a high-level CBI inquiry into recurring paper leaks.
Meanwhile, Chief Minister Hemant Soren accused the BJP of indulging in its traditional work of lying, deceit, and conspiracies “Our aim is to move forward in line with the hopes and aspirations of my young companions of Jharkhand, and we will keep progressing. The BJP will continue with its traditional work–of lying, deceit, and conspiracies.”
All Jharkhand Students Union (AJSU) president Sudesh Mahto criticised the state government during a visit to protesting aspirants at Jaipal Singh Munda Stadium in Ranchi. Mahto stated, “We are protesting against the illicit work of the government… They claimed to be supporting the movement till recently and was willing to resolve the issue, ordered a lathi charge against the students to suppress the students’ voice. Many are injured and are admitted to the hospital… The government has almost mentally accepted that there have been irregularities… There should be dismissive action against those responsible… There should be a CBI investigation.”
JMM MP Mahua Maji defended the state government, claiming that external political factors hijacked the movement. “Talks have been held with the students of Jharkhand. Congress, JMM, RJD ministers were involved in it. 98% of their demands have been accepted; only 2% of the demands remain, which is not within the government’s purview. The CGL matter is in court. Many people are working on it. Cancelling it is not within scope; if we do, it would be an injustice to many youths. The Chief Minister has also said that we will look into it too, but some time is needed. The students had agreed, but the BJP was inciting the students.”
Jharkhand Minister Irfan Ansar refuted allegations of police brutality against genuine students, accusing the BJP of sending “rioters” to hijack and derail the peaceful protest. He said, “Rahul Gandhi has clearly said that we support peaceful protest. An attempt was made to hijack the protest. They (BJP) did the work of crushing the protest by sending rioters. If there were a BJP government here, we don’t know how many bodies of youth we would have seen here. We are supporting the demands of the youth.”
Responding to BJP workers blocking Ratu Road in Ranchi during the state-wide Jharkhand Bandh, Ansar said, “Who are you (BJP) to announce a bandh? The public is with us. BJP used AK-47s; we used water cannons. Our Police personnel in large numbers are also injured. The youth came up to the State Assembly, and it was Rahul ji’s instructions that talks should be held peacefully with them. We have not lathi-charged the students; we will only engage in dialogue.”
Meanwhile, BJP MLC N Ravi Kumar condemned the police action while questioning the response of Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi “The lathi-charge that took place in Jharkhand is highly condemnable; it was completely wrong… But amidst all this, what did Rahul Gandhi do? Just a statement, that’s all! In Delhi, he went and sat right in front of the Prime Minister’s residence, launching a protest over the issue. But what did he do regarding the situation in Jharkhand? JP Nadda said we are ready to debate the entire issue in Parliament, yet they are not allowing Parliament to function. Rahul Gandhi himself is anti-democratic; Rahul Gandhi himself is anti-constitutional.”
Babulal Marandi (BJP Leader and LoP, Jharkhand Assembly) justified the opposition’s call for a statewide bandh: “The government wants to conceal the truth using batons. The students have but one demand: a CBI inquiry, the guilty will be caught, and the innocent will be exonerated. However, the government remains obstinate, refusing to accept this simple demand and attempting to suppress the students’ voices with force, but voices cannot be silenced by batons. The voice will only grow louder and faster, and the movement will spread to every village in Jharkhand. Given the way the administration resorted to lathi-charges and tear gas against the students yesterday, it is only natural that we–the BJP–have called for a statewide bandh in Jharkhand today in their support…”
National Leaders Weigh In
Former Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, who recently resigned after student protests in Delhi, accused Congress leader Rahul Gandhi of exploiting student grievances for political point-scoring and evading parliamentary accountability, and asserted that the opposition was spreading misinformation regarding student welfare while refusing to debate structural solutions in Parliament.
Shiv Sena (UBT) Leader Aaditya Thackeray voiced solidarity with the agitating youth, highlighting the Jharkhand government’s efforts to communicate the situation. “When they resorted to a lathi charge, all of us condemned it, Rahul Gandhi also condemned it. Secondly, the investigation is ongoing there. Thirdly, the minister there has spoken to them,” he told reporters.
Founder of the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP), Abhijeet Dipke, aligned with critics of the police crackdown, comparing it to incidents at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar. Meanwhile, student wings such as the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) continued active mobilisation, staging protest marches from the Old Vidhan Sabha to the New Vidhan Sabha to maintain pressure on the state administration.
Arrest Made in 2022 Paper Leak Case
Amid the broader civil unrest, the Special Investigation Team (SIT) investigating the 2022 JSSC Junior Engineer (Diploma) paper leak made a high-profile arrest. Arun Kumar, the absconding director of the New Delhi-based exam-conducting agency Bynsis Technology Pvt Ltd and a resident of Nalanda district, Bihar, was arrested in Mumbai and sent to judicial custody on August 10.
The JSSC had conducted the competitive examination for 1,279 Junior Engineer positions on July 3, 2022. However, news of the paper leak surfaced on the day of the exam after answer keys were leaked and circulated online before the start of the first shift. Recognising the gravity of the situation, the JSSC immediately cancelled the examination.
Before Arun Kumar’s arrest, the SIT had already taken five individuals into judicial custody: Ranjit Mandal (candidate/named accused), Deepak Kumar (syndicate member), Abhishek Kumar (syndicate member), Deepak Srivastava (syndicate member), Krishna Kumar (Senior Manager, Bynsis Technology Pvt Ltd).
Earlier, former Jharkhand Public Commission (JPSC) Chairperson L Khiangte was also arrested amid the ongoing protests. (ANI)
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianet Newsable English staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)