Protestors, police claim injuries; BJP calls for statewide bandh today
Ranchi: Several agitators and four policemen were injured during a clash near the Jharkhand Assembly on Monday, as the police used water cannons, tear gas and lathi-charged job aspirants protesting against alleged irregularities in recruitment examinations, officials said.
The clash took place after the protestors breached multiple barricades near the Jharkhand Vidhan Sabha.
While the protestors alleged that several of them, including women, were injured in the police action, Ranchi City SP Paras Rana said four policemen suffered injuries during stone pelting by the demonstrators.
The protestors breached the barricades and reached Gate No 1 of the Assembly, where they staged a sit-in and refused to leave until their demands were addressed, even as the police resorted to a fresh round of lathi-charge.
The Opposition BJP called for a Jharkhand bandh on Tuesday to protest the “police atrocities” and lathi-charge on students. BJP state president Aditya Sahu said the bandh will be effective from 8 am till midnight.
“It will be a statewide bandh. All essential services, however, are excluded from the purview of the shutdown,” Sahu told reporters at the party headquarters here.
The march began from outside the old Assembly building around 10.30 am, as the agitation over recruitment exam “irregularities” entered its 17th day.
It also coincided with Chief Minister Hemant Soren’s 51st birthday.
The police used water cannons when the protestors reached the Jagannathpur Temple. The situation escalated after the demonstrators attempted to move beyond the final barricade, prompting the police to lathi-charge again.
Several rounds of tear gas shells were also fired when the protestors came within around 200 metres of the Assembly.
“The baton-charge was barbaric. We were protesting peacefully, but the government used batons against us. They can only inflict physical injuries, not harm our thoughts,” said Piyush Kumar Soni, one of the demonstrators.
He alleged that several women protestors were also injured. “Many girl students suffered injuries. The police hit us on our head, arms and face,” he claimed.
Vikram Kumar, who came from Hazaribag district, also claimed to have suffered a head injury.
Student leader Ravindar Paswan alleged that protestors were chased for a kilometre, and beaten by the police after he was separated from the march.
“Thousands of students who arrived here on our call were chased and brutally beaten by the police for about one kilometre. This is not democracy. Hemant Soren should not become a dictator. Many of our friends, the agitating students, suffered injuries due to the lathi-charge,” Paswan asserted.
The Ranchi City SP, however, said four policemen were injured in stone pelting during the march.
“Three of them received head injuries… While the majority of the protestors were peaceful, about 15 per cent became unruly,” Rana stated.
JLKM leader Devendra Nath Mahto, who has been on a hunger strike for nine days over the issue, was admitted to a hospital here as his health condition deteriorated after participating in the march.
Doctors described Mahto’s condition as critical, due to a “drastic” drop in his blood sugar level.
Another protestor, Jyoti Mahto, said the agitators would continue their sit-in until their demands were met.
“We were expecting gifts from the Chief Minister on the occasion of his birthday. But, what we received were baton-charge, tear gas and water cannons. Until the government fulfils our demands, we will not go home,” another protestor said.
JLKM MLA Jairam Mahto, who joined the agitation a day after holding a fast over the issue, questioned the police action.
“The students are protesting peacefully; why is the police trying to restrain them? They are not carrying lathis in their hands,” he said.
Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha state president Shashank Raj described the police action as a “black day for democracy”, and alleged that several protestors were injured.
The Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad also condemned the lathi-charge, use of water cannons and tear gas, alleging that students with legitimate demands were met with police force instead of dialogue.
It also announced a fresh march to the Vidhan Sabha on August 11.
