Police used batons on protesters who tried to lay siege to the assembly on Monday in the paper leak case in Jharkhand. As a result, the Jharkhand Assembly session was adjourned.
Various organizations have been staging continuous protests for more than two weeks, alleging that question papers were leaked and irregularities took place in examinations including the Jharkhand Public Service Commission (PSC) civil services examination and JSSC examinations. To hold talks with them and bring the protest to an end, the Jharkhand government formed a five-member committee including state ministers.
Talks fail: The group held discussions last Friday night with 10 representatives of the JCSC and JSSC reform organizations. Following this, the Jharkhand government team also held talks with a group led by JLKM organization chief Devendranath Mahato, and then with representatives of the Congress-backed NSUI, ACS, and JCM organizations, the student wing of the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha party.
The demands, including that the BPSC Services examination should be canceled, that a CID investigation should be conducted into all examinations, and that examinations in which allegations of irregularities have arisen should be canceled, were pressed by the protest groups before the Jharkhand government committee.
However, the talks held by the 5-member committee set up by the Jharkhand government with the protesters ended in failure.
1,500 police personnel were deployed for security: In order to intensify the protest further and put pressure on the government, the protesters marched toward the Jharkhand Assembly on Monday. With the Assembly entrance locked, 15,000 police personnel from various units were deployed for security duty.
When the protesters tried to remove the barricades set up in front of the Assembly complex and continue moving forward, a scuffle broke out between the police and the protesters.
Following this, the police dispersed the protesters from the area by spraying water, hurling tear gas shells, and resorting to baton charges.
Black Day for democracy: BJP youth wing state president Shashank Raj, who is taking part in the protest, told reporters, “The government led by Chief Minister Hemant Soren resorting to a baton charge on protesters who were demonstrating peacefully is condemnable. This is a black day for democracy,” he said.
JKLM leader Devendra Nath Mahato, who has been on a hunger strike for nine days demanding various demands, said, “The state government is trying to suppress our voice. We will no longer hold any talks with the government,” he said.
Former chairman arrested: The police CID wing on Monday arrested L. Khyangte, former chairman of the Jharkhand Public Service Commission, in connection with allegations of irregularities in government examinations.
Khyangte, an IAS officer of the 1988 batch, was appointed chairman of the Public Service Commission in February last year after serving as the state chief secretary.
Amid various allegations against him, he resigned from his post on July 22 last year. After that, the CID questioned him four times. In this situation, he has been arrested. So far, the CID has arrested 20 people in the examination irregularities case.
It is noteworthy that following the students’ protest, all 3 members of the Jharkhand Public Service Commission resigned from their posts.
BJP condemnation: Union Minister of State for Defence Sanjay Seth on Monday condemned the police lathi-charge on students who staged a protest in Jharkhand.
Speaking further to reporters in the Parliament complex, he said, ‘Why has Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi not condemned the government led by Chief Minister Hemant Soren, which is functioning with the support of the Congress party, in this matter? Why is Rahul Gandhi, who raises questions every day in Parliament about the student protest held in Delhi, remaining silent?’
The baton charge was wrong - Rahul: Following the BJP’s criticism, in an X post, Rahul Gandhi said, ‘The police baton charge on students who were protesting in Jharkhand was wrong. Students have the right to protest peacefully. The Jharkhand government should resolve this issue only through talks by calling the students involved in the protest.’
