“At least 100 youth subjected to lathicharges”: Injured protester condemns police crackdown during Ranchi protest march
Ranchi (Jharkhand) [India], August 11 (ANI): An injured student protester alleged that police resorted to lathicharges on JPSC-JSSC aspirants during their 'Vidhan Sabha gherao' march in Ranchi, claiming that at least "hundred young people" were subjected to the same.
Speaking to ANI about the incident, injured protester Shivam said, "We were sitting outside the Legislative Assembly, waiting for the government (officials or leaders) to come and provide a response, but there was no sign of the government. However, the police arrived, and without any warning or prior exchange of words, they immediately started a lathicharge."
"I was hit on the back. They struck on the chest, and my brother was hit on the arm. There are at least a hundred young people who were subjected to lathicharges. Look at their condition; they are in severe pain in their chests. They have been on a hunger strike for nine days now," he added.
Jharkhand Police on Monday used lathis and water cannons to control the crowd during the 'Vidhan Sabha gherao' march by Jharkhand Public Service Commission (JPSC) and Jharkhand Staff Selection Commission (JSSC) aspirants in Ranchi over alleged irregularities in the JPSC and JSSC-Combined Graduate Level (CGL) examinations.
Vikram Kumar, another injured student protester, alleged that the demonstration was peaceful while criticising the police action.
"Hemant Soren ji, you should not have done this. We were protesting peacefully. We did not even hurl any abuses. Suddenly, the police launched a lathicharge. This is not good," Kumar said.
The protesting aspirants have been demanding the cancellation of the JSSC-CGL examination, a CBI probe into alleged irregularities, and reforms in the recruitment process. They have maintained that their demands have not been fully accepted by the state government.
Meanwhile, Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren said the government respects the students' right to raise their concerns and assured that their demands would be addressed.
In a post on X, Soren thanked administrative and police officials for handling the situation with "restraint, sensitivity, and a deep sense of responsibility" during the student protest.
"My dear young friends, you raised your voices peacefully regarding your demands. In a democracy, you have the right to express your views, and it is the government's responsibility to respect your voice," Soren wrote.
आज के छात्र आंदोलन के दौरान संयम, संवेदनशीलता और पूरी जिम्मेदारी के साथ स्थिति को संभालने के लिए प्रशासन और पुलिस के सभी अधिकारियों एवं जवानों का मैं धन्यवाद करता हूं।
— Hemant Soren (@HemantSorenJMM) August 10, 2026
मेरे प्यारे युवा साथियों,
आपने अपनी मांगों को लेकर शांतिपूर्ण तरीके से अपनी आवाज़ उठाई। लोकतंत्र में अपनी बात…
"The government has listened to you. Senior ministers from our government have been in constant dialogue with you, and I assure you that your demands will be addressed with the utmost seriousness and sensitivity," he added.
Soren further said that the government was working to make the examination system more transparent, technology-enabled, secure, and accountable.
"You have witnessed over the past few days that the government has spared no one found guilty. Our clear objective is to rectify systemic flaws so that no student has to face hardship in the future," he said.
As this happened, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) state general secretary Amar Kumar Bauri targeted the Hemant Soren-led government over the handling of the protest, alleging that the administration was not willing to listen to students.
"We had simply gone to meet Hemant Soren at his residence to discuss issues concerning students. And this dictatorial government, by keeping us waiting for 11 hours, from 10:30 AM until nearly 8:30 PM, has demonstrated that it is indeed a dictatorial regime; they do not tolerate voices of dissent," Bauri said.
"Today, both Rahul Gandhi and Hemant Soren are silent. I feel that while we will certainly remember this 'birthday gift' from Hemant Soren, it is going to cost him dearly in the upcoming elections," he added.
Amid demands for a CBI probe into alleged examination irregularities, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Monday registered an Enforcement Case Information Report (ECIR) under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) in connection with alleged irregularities in examinations conducted by the JPSC. (ANI)
