Several ABVP workers were detained during the protests in Jharkhand as fierce clashes broke out between Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) workers and police as they marched towards the Jharkhand Assembly over the alleged lathicharge on students protesting irregularities in a job examination.
At the political arena, leaders have issued mixed responses for the students protesting. AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal wrote on his X handle, that he supports the demands of protesting students in Jharkhand and urged the state government to resolve their issues immediately. He said, “Violence against students is simply unacceptable.”
While, BJP MPs Manoj Tiwari and Sakshi Maharaj criticised Congress leader Rahul Gandhi over the police action against students protesting in Jharkhand. Tiwari said Rahul Gandhi should respond to the alleged “brutality” against students, while Sakshi Maharaj accused the Opposition of adopting different standards for student protests in Jharkhand and at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar.
His support followed a statement by All Jharkhand Students Union(AJSU) MLA Nirmal Mahto who lay on the floor inside the Jharkhand Assembly premises, alleging that students were beaten “under the cover of darkness” and taken out of Ranchi in locked train coaches.
Earlier today, BJP called for Jharkhand bandh in protest against the police action during the Jharkhand Public Service Commission – Jharkhand Staff Selection Commission (JPSC-JSSC) aspirants’ protest march in Ranchi. Jharkhand BJP president Aditya Sahu alleged that hundreds of students were injured in the lathi charge and accused the Hemant Soren-led government of ignoring their demands.
The bandh comes a day after police used lathis and water cannons to disperse protesters during their ‘Vidhan Sabha gherao’ march. BJP Leader of Opposition Babulal Marandi also criticised the police action and alleged that the government had failed to address the students’ concerns.
Responding to the tensions prevailing, Chief Minister Hemant Soren said the government respects the students’ right to raise concerns and assured that their demands would be addressed through dialogue. In a post on X, Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren addressed student protesters and said: “My dear young companions, You have raised your voice for your demands in a peaceful manner. In a democracy, it is your right to express your views, and it is the government’s responsibility to respect your voice.”