Jharkhand Student Protest Escalates Over Paper Leaks

Police Crackdown Sparks Political Storm

A demonstration organized by the 'JPSC-JSSC Reforms Manch' has been ongoing at the Jaipal Singh Munda Stadium in Ranchi where protestors have demanded a clean and transparent recruitment process, cancellation of some tests, and a CBI or a retired judge panel probe outside Jharkhand.

Security personnel had baton-charged and fired water cannons and tear gas on protestors marching towards the Assembly on Monday. Jharkhand’s former chief minister Raghubar Dashad warned on Wednesday to go on a hunger strike if their demand to form a CBI probe panel is not met in one week.

NDA-INDIA Bloc Face Off at Parliament

NDA and INDIA MPs clashed through a war of sloganeering near the Parliament’s Makar Dwar on Thursday, a security personnel’s barricade placed between them, as the members debated over police's action on jobs aspirants in Jharkhand and alleged stolen donations at the Ram temple in Ayodhya.

NDA MPs called upon Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and told him to not run from a debate on student protest, while INDIA MPs targeted Home Minister Amit Shah and demanded his statement over police's excess action on the students' protests in July over paper leaks. The INDIA MPs then also raised slogans against alleged theft over Ram temple donations in Ayodhya.

Marandi Opposes Ranchi Road Barricades

Jharkhand Leader of Opposition Babulal Marandi said on Thursday that all barricades should be removed in the busy Kanke Road of Ranchi where Chief Minister Hemant Soren’s residence is situated, to secure the road ahead of the reported student protest rally against alleged irregularities in recruitment examinations.

"In the name of securing the chief minister's residence, main roads and the extremely busy Kanke Road have been blocked, holding the entire capital's public life hostage," Marandi said.

He added, "Why is the government so terrified of students peacefully protesting in Ranchi for their legitimate demands? When the students' movement is entirely democratic and peaceful, then for whose sake is this unnecessary show of force?" 

Jharkhand Protests Continues Amid Talks

Previous six rounds of talks between the government and the representatives of students could not lead to a conclusion to finish the protest. Chief Minister Hemant Soren said that the state government is committed towards reforms in the recruitment examinations. He assured the protestors that the 14th JPSC exam will be cancelled, he however stated the opposition BJP is politicizing the agitation.

The BJP has criticized the state government for crushing the movement, however the Congress stated that the party is using it for political purposes and creating trouble by hiring protestors from outside the state to disrupt the movement.