BJP's Sunil Soren demanded CM Hemant Soren's resignation after an alleged lathi-charge on student protestors in Ranchi. The BJP called a statewide 'bandh' to protest the use of force against aspirants demanding reforms in JPSC and JSSC exams.
BJP State Vice President and former MP Sunil Soren, during a statewide bandh in Jharkhand on Tuesday, demanded the resignation of Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren on moral grounds, following the alleged "brutal lathi-charge" on student aspirants during their protest march in Ranchi.
BJP Demands Resignation, Enforces Bandh
Enforcing a complete shutdown in Dumka as part of the BJP's statewide 'Jharkhand Bandh', Sunil Soren stated that the administration's use of force against peaceful students was unacceptable. "Regarding the JPSC, JSSC, and CGL exams, students across the entire state of Jharkhand are currently in a state of protest. Yesterday, they conducted a march to surround the Legislative Assembly in a very democratic and peaceful manner. However, at night, the administration carried out a brutal lathi-charge against them. In response, the BJP has called for a one-day state-wide bandh, and as part of that, we are enforcing a complete shutdown of Dumka city today. If Hemant Soren has even a shred of morality left, he should resign from his post," Sunil Soren told ANI.
Echoing these sentiments, BJP State Council Member Niwas Mandal labelled the JMM-led administration as an "anti-people and anti-student government," alleging that the recruitment process in the state has been compromised. "The practice of selling jobs meant for students must be stopped in Jharkhand. We will not allow injustice to be meted out to the students of this state. The BJP stands with the students, from the streets to the Assembly, and we remain firm on their demands. Today, there is a state-wide shutdown across Jharkhand; our workers are present at every block, intersection, and square," Mandal said, while appealing to the business community to support the strike.
The issue also resonated in the national capital, where BJP MP Jagdambika Pal highlighted the use of force against the youth. "The movement across Jharkhand was driven by students and the youth. Look at the way water cannons and lathi charges were used, leaving people injured, all because they were demanding the cancellation of leaked Jharkhand Commission exams or a CBI inquiry. There is silence there on the matter, while here in Parliament, there is an uproar," Pal remarked.
JMM Denies Lathi-Charge, Accuses BJP of Politicising Issue
Meanwhile, lashing out at the BJP's move, JMM leader Manoj Pandey denied reports of a lathi-charge or the use of extreme measures against the students. "There was no lathi-charge. Only minimal force was used, strictly in self-defence, and there were no pellet guns or anything of that sort involved. This reaction stems from sheer desperation and unease. They are agitated because the police and administration handled the situation so effectively, and now they want to play politics," Pandey told ANI.
The JMM leader further alleged that the opposition is attempting to hijack a student-led issue for political mileage. "This is a students' issue, and the students involved belong to all political parties. They are just barging in unnecessarily to grind their own political axes; let them make their announcements... I can state with confidence that it will be a total failure; no one is standing with them," he remarked.
Protest Over Exam Irregularities
The 'bandh' comes after 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. The protesting aspirants have been demanding cancellation of the JSSC-CGL examination, a CBI probe into alleged irregularities, and reforms in the recruitment process. They have also alleged that their demands have not been fully accepted by the state government. (ANI)
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianet Newsable English staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)