Thousands of job aspirants protesting alleged irregularities in recruitment examinations in Jharkhand faced water cannons as they marched towards the state Assembly on Monday, breaching multiple barricades along the way.
Carrying tricolours and placards, the protesters broke into dance as police used water cannons when they reached the final barricade near Jagannathpur Temple on the road leading to the new Assembly complex.
The demonstrators raised slogans in support of their demands as their protest entered its 17th day.
The march, which coincided with Chief Minister Hemant Soren’s 51st birthday, began from outside the old Assembly building at around 10.30 am.
JLKM leader Devendra Nath Mahto, who has been on a hunger strike for nine days over the issue, joined the march in an ambulance despite losing 10.5 kg. He was seen carrying a portrait of former chief minister Shibu Soren.
“We are protesting peacefully, and we urge everyone to help us maintain that peace. We are raising the voice of lakhs of students who are fighting for their dreams and careers... My health is failing,” Mahto said.
The placards carried by the protesters read: “Cancel JSSC-CGL Exams or Conduct a CBI Probe”, “Why is CID escaping from conducting a raid on JSSC?” and “Conduct an impartial investigation, bring out the truth.”
“If we cannot reach the Assembly, our voices must reach them. We do not fear the government, which is treating us like traitors. We have been compelled to take to the streets,” a protester said.
The JPSC-JSSC Reforms Manch, which is spearheading the agitation, said it had deployed around 500 volunteers to prevent anti-social elements from joining the march.
DSP Arvind Kumar Verma said the march had remained peaceful so far and that police were exercising restraint.
Prohibitory orders have been imposed and heavy security deployed along the entire stretch, which is around 4 km long, with senior officers keeping a close watch, officials said.
More than 1,500 personnel from the Rapid Action Force, Indian Reserve Battalion, district police and Quick Reaction Teams have been deployed, they added. Most schools in the city have also been closed.
The government has held several rounds of talks with the demonstrators but failed to break the deadlock. After the latest round of discussions, the government said it had accepted 98 per cent of the protesters’ demands.
However, the protesters said the government had agreed to cancel only three of the 13 examinations they wanted scrapped.
“We will not compromise till our demand for a CBI probe is fulfilled,” JPSC-JSSC Reforms Manch leader Ravindra Paswan said.
The agitators are demanding comprehensive reforms in the Jharkhand Public Service Commission (JPSC) and Jharkhand Staff Selection Commission (JSSC).
They are also seeking the cancellation of several recruitment examinations, including the 14th Jharkhand PSC Civil Services Examination, and an independent probe into the alleged irregularities either by the CBI or a panel of retired High Court judges from outside the state.
(With inputs from PTI)
