Ranchi: Tension gripped several parts of Jharkhand on Friday after clashes broke out between protesting students, police and Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) workers during demonstrations over the state’s recruitment controversy.
The unrest began when students, protesting under the banner of the JPSC-JSSC Reforms Manch, attempted to burn effigies of Chief Minister Hemant Soren and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi. Similar confrontations were reported in Hazaribag and Giridih, where JMM workers allegedly tried to prevent the protests.
According to police, a large crowd gathered at Albert Ekka Chowk in Ranchi before marching toward the Jharkhand Public Service Commission (JPSC) office. Authorities said the protesters deviated from the designated route, blocked traffic and ignored repeated appeals to follow the approved path, leading to a scuffle.
The agitation stems from growing anger among job aspirants, who accuse the state government of betraying recruitment candidates after the Jharkhand High Court stayed multiple notifications cancelling appointments linked to the 11th and 13th JPSC examinations and the JSSC Combined Graduate Level (CGL) recruitment process.
Student leaders claimed the administration and JMM workers obstructed what they described as a peaceful march. They alleged that police detained a key member of the protest committee, who later collapsed and was shifted to hospital for treatment.
The protesters also accused JMM workers of assaulting women participants and alleged that police used batons to disperse demonstrators in several districts. They claimed female protesters were dragged and physically assaulted during the confrontation.
The protests had briefly subsided earlier this week after the state government announced the cancellation of disputed JPSC examinations. However, fresh demonstrations erupted after the High Court stayed the cancellation orders, reigniting the recruitment dispute and triggering renewed unrest across Jharkhand.
