Jharkhand Police have imposed prohibitory orders around the state Assembly and stepped up security across Ranchi ahead of Monday’s ‘Vidhan Sabha March’ by students protesting alleged irregularities in recruitment examinations.
The students’ protest, which entered its 16th day on Sunday, has continued for more than two weeks. Six students are currently on hunger strike as part of the agitation.
BJP leader Amar Bauri alleged that the party’s state president, Aditya Sahu, had been “put under house arrest”. Bauri, who is also the party’s state general secretary, said the government would “not be able to achieve success by deploying security personnel outside Sahu’s residence”.
Police said elaborate security arrangements had been put in place in view of the proposed march and picketing near the Assembly.
“In view of the possibility of unrest during the students’ proposed march to the state Assembly, the police administration has been put on alert,” ADG (Headquarters) Manoj Kaushik said.
He appealed to the protesting students to maintain peace and discipline, noting that they had demonstrated restraint during their prolonged agitation.
“It is their responsibility to ensure that anti-social elements and troublemakers are prevented from joining the march,” the ADG said.
Ranchi SSP Rakesh Ranjan said maintaining law and order during the march was a collective responsibility.
“We do not want a blot on the career of any student due to disruption of law and order. Barricades have been put in place at major points with the deployment of adequate police force across the city,” he said.
A prohibitory order has been in force within a 750-metre radius of the Vidhan Sabha building from 6 August to 12 August. The restrictions will remain in effect between 6 am and 10 pm on these days, the SSP said.
A similar order was imposed in Jamshedpur from Sunday midnight in view of the planned protest march in Ranchi, according to an official statement.
The Ranchi district administration has appealed to the protesting students to refrain from aggressive demonstrations and warned against violence and other illegal activities during the march.
Meanwhile, protesters alleged that hundreds of students travelling to Ranchi from different parts of Jharkhand were being forcibly stopped by the police.
(With inputs from PTI)
