Jharkhand students’ stir enters Day 19, protesters invite Rahul Gandhi after police crackdown

Ranchi: The students agitation in Jharkhand against alleged irregularities in JPSC and JSSC recruitment examinations continued for the 19th consecutive day on Tuesday.

Following the police action and baton charge during the Assembly march on Monday, protesters regrouped late at night at Jaipal Singh Munda Stadium and resumed their sit-in.

The agitators have now intensified their demand for Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, to visit Ranchi and witness their situation firsthand.

Ravindra Paswan, a representative of the JPSC-JSSC Reform Forum, said Rahul Gandhi should come to Ranchi and see how a government supported by his party is treating students who are merely seeking justice.

He stressed that the movement is not directed against any political party but is aimed at ensuring transparency in recruitment processes and securing an impartial investigation into the alleged irregularities.

Another protester, Rohit Kumar Singh, said Rahul Gandhi must visit the state and interact directly with the students.

Displaying injury marks on his back, he alleged that students were beaten after the lights near the Assembly area were switched off during Monday’s protest.

He further claimed that women protesters were also subjected to baton charges by male police personnel.

The students noted that Rahul Gandhi had on Monday criticised the use of force against demonstrators and spoken in favour of the right to peaceful protest.

They said that, having taken such a position, he should now visit the protest site and listen to the students’ grievances in person.

Thousands of students had marched from Jaipal Singh Munda Stadium towards the Jharkhand Assembly on Monday as part of a planned gherao programme. Protesters crossed several barricades and advanced close to the Assembly premises before being stopped by police.

To disperse the crowd, security personnel used water cannons, tear gas shells and baton charges.

According to the protesters, more than 100 students were injured or sustained minor injuries during the confrontation.

The agitation is primarily focused on demands to cancel the controversial JSSC-CGL examination and order a CBI probe into alleged irregularities in recruitment examinations.

Meanwhile, the issue has triggered a sharp political confrontation in the state. The BJP has called for a statewide bandh on Tuesday in protest against the police action, which has witnessed a mixed response.

The state government, on the other hand, maintains that several demands of the students have already been addressed and that a resolution can be reached through dialogue.

IANS

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