Ranchi: Tension prevailed at Albert Ekka Chowk on Friday when a scuffle broke out between members of the JPSC-JSSC Reform Manch and alleged JMM workers during a protest against the Jharkhand government’s handling of recruitment examination-related issues.
The protesters had gathered to burn effigies of Chief Minister Hemant Soren and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi as part of their renewed agitation over alleged irregularities in JPSC and JSSC examinations. The confrontation reportedly began when JMM workers attempted to take away the effigies being carried by the protesters.
According to the Reform Manch, some JMM workers confronted the students and allegedly behaved indecently with female participants. The protesters claimed that the workers tried to snatch the effigies, following which an argument escalated into a physical scuffle.
Reform Manch leader Ravindra Paswan alleged that female protesters were also targeted during the confrontation. The students said they resisted the attempt to disrupt their demonstration and managed to retrieve the effigies.
Police, however, gave a different account of the sequence of events. Lalpur police station officer-in-charge Rupesh Kumar Singh said the protesters had deviated from the designated route and moved towards the JPSC office, disrupting traffic. Police officials said repeated requests to follow the prescribed route were not heeded.
A brief spell of chaos followed as protesters and JMM workers came face-to-face. Police and administrative officials intervened to prevent the situation from escalating, after which the protest march resumed.
Student leaders also alleged that a member of the Reform Manch’s core committee, identified as Kunal, was detained during the incident and later fainted before being taken to Sadar Hospital.
The Friday confrontation came amid renewed anger among JPSC-JSSC aspirants after the Jharkhand High Court stayed several state government notifications relating to cancellation of recruitment examinations and appointments. The court has stayed the cancellation of the 11th and 13th JPSC examinations and food safety officer appointments, while a similar order was subsequently passed regarding CDPO and JSSC-CGL appointments.
The Reform Manch had earlier suspended its agitation for two months following assurances from the state government, but student leaders have accused the government of failing to effectively defend its decisions before the High Court. The group has now threatened to intensify its movement.
The reported confrontation also follows a series of protests by JPSC-JSSC aspirants across Jharkhand. The students have been demanding action over alleged irregularities in recruitment examinations, including cancellation of certain examinations and a CBI probe.
The Friday incident has added a fresh political dimension to the students’ agitation, with allegations and counter-allegations emerging over the circumstances that led to the scuffle. Police intervention prevented the confrontation from escalating further, while the protesters continued to press their demands.
