JPSC-JSSC aspirants in Ranchi remained defiant after police resorted to a lathi charge to disperse their protest outside the Jharkhand Assembly. Demonstrators vowed to continue their agitation over alleged exam irregularities, demanding a CBI probe.

Protesters Defiant After Lathi Charge

JPSC-JSSC aspirants remained defiant after police resorted to a lathi charge for the third time on Monday evening to disperse students protesting outside the Jharkhand Assembly in Ranchi. Demonstrators vowed to continue their agitation over alleged irregularities in competitive examinations and demanded a CBI probe.

The latest police action unfolded hours after a fresh clash between student protesters and police during the 'Vidhan Sabha Gherao' march. Authorities deployed tear gas shells, water cannons, and lathi charges as a large number of aspirants attempted to move toward the Assembly. The protest was organized by the JPSC-JSSC Reform Manch to protest examinations conducted by the Jharkhand Public Service Commission (JPSC) and Jharkhand Staff Selection Commission (JSSC).

'We Will Face the Batons': Protesters Recount Police Action

Demonstrators expressed outrage over the heavy-handed response, asserting their resolve to keep fighting. "We will face the batons; we will fight for our rights. We have been sitting here in protest," one of the protesters said.

Another protester alleged that women participating in the demonstration were also subjected to police action. "There are no women in their administration. They have been brutally beating people up. They are acting as stooges of the government. While the Jharkhand government offers the 'Mahila Samman Yojana', these people go around assaulting mothers and sisters. They ought to be made to wear black uniforms," the protester said.

The protesters are demanding cancellation of the JSSC-CGL examination, a CBI investigation into alleged irregularities and comprehensive reforms in the recruitment process.

Student Leader Vows to Continue Fight Despite Failing Health

Student leader Devendra Nath Mahato, who has been on hunger strike for nine days, said the movement represented the concerns of millions of young people preparing for competitive examinations. "Our future strategy depends on the government's decision. I said on day one itself: this voice is not just Devendra Nath Mahato's. It is the voice of those millions of youths whose futures depend on competitive examinations, those who seek to realise their dreams through books," Mahato said.

He alleged that the administration had deployed multiple measures to stop the protesters. "Attempts were made to stop us. Barricades of barbed wire were erected. Water cannons were used. Tear gas was deployed. Lathi charges were carried out, leaving people injured. Yet, we did not raise a single slogan against the government. We did not engage in any political rhetoric or utter a single obscene word. The only flag present was the Tricolour," he said.

Questioning the credibility of an investigation, Mahato said, "Exams are conducted with candidates sitting in places like Nepal. What faith can one have in the investigation?"

Mahato also spoke about his deteriorating health while continuing his hunger strike. "My blood pressure is low, and my blood sugar has dropped to 53. My body is failing me, but even if I were to die, it wouldn't seem to matter. Bhagat Singh made the ultimate sacrifice in 1926; today, in 2026, we are still fighting," he said.

Several protesters alleged that women were beaten during the police action. "The male police officers rained lathi blows on the women. They should be ashamed. It would have been a different matter had female police officers been present," one protester said.

"We were sitting peacefully in protest, yet the police treated us brutally. They lathi-charged the women, tore their clothes, and beat them. This government's dictatorship will not be tolerated," the protester alleged.

Another protester said the incident had damaged their faith in the police administration. "We used to hold the police administration in high regard... but a grave injustice has taken place here," the protester said.

Another demonstrator alleged that he injured his leg amid the rush to disperse the protesters. "When the stampede broke out, we were right in the midst of the police. But even then, in their rush to clear the area, the police shoved me so hard that I injured my leg," he said.

"If there are any complications with my leg in the future, will the Jharkhand government or the police take responsibility? We were doing nothing. We were just sitting there," he added.

A woman protester also referred to Chief Minister Hemant Soren's birthday while criticising the police action. "It's Hemant Soren's birthday, so he's busy with his birthday party while leaving us here. We're getting drenched in the rain and then drying off, and on top of that, a lathi charge actually took place; what a 'gift' that turned out to be!" she said.

"But one thing is certain: we know the law. There wasn't a single female police officer present, even though there were so many of us women and girls here. Despite that, we were chased away, and lathis were raised against us," she added.

Police Appeal for Peace Amid Protester Aggression

Earlier, Ranchi City Superintendent of Police Paras Rana said that while most students were peaceful, a section of protesters became aggressive and damaged barricades. "90 per cent of the students are peaceful but 10 per cent are paying no heed to anyone. If 700-1000 students in the crowd are not listening to anyone, not even to their representatives, and have broken barricading - pushing through the barricading and crushing three Police personnel - still Police personnel showed restraint," Rana said.

"They have also pelted stones at the Police force. Still, we showed minimal aggression for a really short time because they are all only students. I appeal to everyone to be peaceful and not be violent," he added.

"Your demands are reaching the Government, do not show aggression... We appeal to the students to protest peacefully and not pelt stones at Police," Rana said.

Political Backlash Over Police Action

Union Minister Sanjay Seth, meanwhile, slammed the Jharkhand government over the use of force and questioned the deployment of barricades fitted with blades. Speaking to ANI, Seth said the students had remained disciplined before the confrontation.

BJP Slams State Government, Demands CBI Probe

"From this morning, the students were very disciplined, there was no disturbance, no stone-pelting, yes, the Hemant government did try to stop them. Barbed wires with blades were installed there... What was the justification for installing blade-wired fences there? Fulfill the demands of the children," Seth said.

He criticised the lathi charge and accused the state government of avoiding the investigations sought by the students. "You are resorting to lathi charge on your own children. We can certainly say that now every single person in Jharkhand will take to the streets. You are running away from CBI investigation, running away from ED investigation... You must immediately accept the demand for investigation into the students' concerns," the Union Minister said.

BJP MP Sanjay Jaiswal also criticised the police action, saying the students had been demanding a CBI inquiry. "The students had been protesting peacefully for so long, and they had just one consistent demand: a CBI inquiry... The CID probe was merely a whitewash, a way to shield the scammers under the guise of an investigation... the way they (students) were lathi-charged is deeply distressing. If everything was above board, why didn't the authorities simply talk to them? The people there were genuine students; they weren't criminals," Jaiswal said.

BJP MP Mayank Nayak termed the crackdown condemnable and urged the state government to engage with the protesters. "Regarding the student protest in Jharkhand, the government took measures to maintain law and order, but the severity of the crackdown is highly condemnable. The students' grievances should be heard. Just as students were protesting at Jantar Mantar in Delhi, the government sent representatives to hold talks, resolving the issue in that manner. Similarly, the Jharkhand government should also take similar steps," Nayak said.

BJP MP Dinesh Sharma also criticised the police action and accused opposition leaders of selective politics. "...It is tragic, condemnable, and shameful. Rahul Gandhi should have immediately gone to Jharkhand, but instead of going there, he went to Prayagraj. He should have visited Telangana, Karnataka, and Punjab, yet he went to Prayagraj," Sharma said.

He added that leaders across political parties should take note of the situation and speak up. "This is the adverse consequence of selective politics, engaging in politics where elections are taking place while turning a blind eye to places where there are no elections," he said.

Congress Condemns Violence, Urges Dialogue

Congress leader and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, however, condemned violence against peacefully protesting students and said their grievances should be resolved through dialogue. In a post on X, Gandhi said, "The use of force against students protesting in Jharkhand is wrong. Students have a right to peaceful protest, and only dialogue can yield solutions."

"The Jharkhand government must continue to hear these students out and resolve their issues immediately," he added.

Speaking to the media, Gandhi said, "My message is clear for the students of Jharkhand. We condemn any violence against peacefully protesting students. It does not matter where it is happening, we condemn it, we are against it, we do not recommend it, we do not support it. We are very clear, there is no confusion in our mind."

"So peaceful protest is happening... when that protest is attacked with violence, it is against it," he added.

Student leader Ravindra Paswan also appealed for restraint and said the agitation would remain peaceful and constitutional. "We are peaceful. Students are adamant about their issues. A few anti-social elements are attempting to take the protest in a different direction. But we, the students, are supporting our issue," Paswan said.

He urged the administration to identify individuals attempting to disrupt the movement. "We appeal to the administration to identify such anti-social elements. Our volunteers are also trying to identify them. CCTV footage and video cameras will be examined, and action will be taken. We appeal to all students to approach our volunteers if they find any anti-social elements among them," he said.

"We will see this protest to the end peacefully and constitutionally. I also humbly appeal to the state government that this is going to be a historic protest. The crowd will further strengthen by evening. The government will have to take this seriously and make a decision today itself," Paswan added.

Mahato said no representative of the state government had approached the protesters for talks during the march. "Till now, no one has come from the government side for talks," Mahato told ANI.

Jharkhand Government Defends Actions, Cites Legal Hurdles

Jharkhand Minister Deepika Pandey Singh, however, said the government had been engaging with the protesters and maintained that the administration had been instructed to maintain law and order. "In a democracy, there is permission for protests; people are free to hold them. The administration is taking the necessary actions to maintain law and order. There will be no use of pellet guns, tear gas, or lathi-charge here," she said.

On allegations of a communication gap, the minister said, "It wasn't a lack of communication; we held discussions for hours--talks have been ongoing for four days. We agreed to everything that was within the state government's capacity to address."

She said cancellation of the CGL examination involved legal considerations. "The issue they are adamant about cancelling the CGL exam- involves judicial directives. The students should understand that the state government must operate within the framework of constitutional rights and established guidelines. We have accepted nearly every point," Pandey Singh added.

She said the government was open to investigations into alleged financial irregularities. "We have kept the investigation open-ended; the state government is ready to have the probe conducted under judicial monitoring. We have even invited the Enforcement Directorate (ED) to investigate the allegations of financial misappropriation," she said.

The minister also outlined proposed reforms involving experts from premier institutions. "The state government plans to introduce major reforms, and these plans were also shared with the students. There is a proposal to form a committee comprising experts from credible institutions like IIM, IIT, XLRI, and ISM to oversee these changes," she added.

Jharkhand Minister Irfan Ansari also appealed for calm and said the government stood with the youth. "The BJP is an expert in diverting the youth. We stand with the youth; the government stands with you. We are holding talks and will find a solution. Remain peaceful," Ansari said.

Telangana BJP president N Ramchander Rao extended support to the protesting students and accused the Congress and INDIA bloc of failing to address their concerns. "The Congress and its INDIA alliance partners stand exposed for their dubious position on students' issues. The students of Jharkhand are on strike, demanding not only a re-examination of the JPSC exam but also a CBI probe into the matter. The Chief Minister, who belongs to the INDIA alliance, is failing to respond to the students' demands and remains completely insensitive to their concerns," Rao said.

"We demand that the government fulfil all legitimate demands of the students, and we stand firmly with the students of Jharkhand, whereas, unfortunately, the Congress party does not... we demand that both the Jharkhand government and the Congress party immediately address and respond to the students' demands," he added.

JLKM MLA Jairam Kumar Mahato said the agitation was fundamentally a student movement. "Fundamentally, they are students. As for the opposition parties, indirect support will always be there; that happens with every government. But fundamentally, they are students; it's their agitation, and once their demands are met, they won't agitate anymore," he said.

He later criticised the government for not accepting the demand to cancel the JSSC-CGL examination. "This is a failure of the government. They should have accepted the demand (of cancellation of exams). The government indeed accepted several demands; I thank them for this. But the important demand is about the JSSC-CGL exam (cancellation). Maximum irregularities happened here. Abhay Tiwari has admitted that he got about 400 candidates selected," Mahato said.

Core Demands of Protesters

The protesters have repeatedly demanded cancellation of the JSSC-CGL examination and a CBI probe. One protester said, "We are not going to stop today. Our first demand is to cancel the JSSC-CGL exam, secondly, a CBI probe."

Another protester said, "We will move ahead when the barricading is opened; till then we will sit here."

Another protester said the agitation was about accountability in a state whose mineral resources are used across the country and the world. "Jharkhand is a mineral-rich state. While the whole country and world are using Jharkhand's minerals, students here are kept in the dark due to the government's policies. And today we demand answers peacefully," the protester said.

The protesters also alleged that vehicles were being stopped by security personnel as people attempted to join the march.

BJP spokesperson Pratul Shah Deo warned the state government against using force and urged Chief Minister Hemant Soren to accept the students' demands. "Today is Chief Minister Hemant Soren's birthday. The students and their parents have already given you a birthday gift by bringing you back to power. Today is the time for a return gift; you should fulfil the demands of the students, who are asking for cancelling the exams conducted by TDPL, an outsourcing agency under question. You are not cancelling the exam and running away from a CBI probe. ED has probably filed an ECIR and begun the investigation," Deo said.

He also criticised the security arrangements around the Assembly. "And the arrangements that you have made on roads today; these are students. You have put up barbed wires, deployed RAF with pellet guns, and our MP Aditya Sahu is under house arrest. Are you trying to show a reign of terror? This is a students' protest, and we do not want to give it a political colour. If even a single lathi is raised, every Bharatiya Janata Party worker will take to the streets for defence, and you will be held responsible for the consequences," he added.

Leader of Opposition in the Jharkhand Assembly Babulal Marandi and several BJP leaders were detained by state police amid protests outside the Chief Minister's residence over the alleged examination irregularities. Marandi said, "Students are continuing their protest, but the government is distracting people. JPSC-JSSC-CGL, all of these should be investigated by the CBI."

Earlier in the day, aspirants affiliated with the JPSC-JSSC Reform Manch gathered at Jaipal Singh Munda Stadium wearing customised white T-shirts marked "VOLUNTEER" before beginning the march. Organisers used megaphones to coordinate volunteers and repeatedly instructed protesters to maintain discipline.

Paswan said thousands of aspirants from across Jharkhand's 24 districts had assembled in Ranchi. "All students and youth from across Jharkhand are assembling at the old Vidhan Sabha location to launch our march. I appeal to all students and citizens through the media that our march will be completely peaceful and conducted constitutionally," Paswan said.

He also appealed to Soren to address the students' concerns on his birthday. "We extend our birthday wishes to Chief Minister Hemant Soren. As a return gift to the state's youth, we request him to fulfil the genuine demands of the student community today. We seek moral support from the people of Jharkhand as we press for fair recruitment," he added.

Background: Ongoing Investigations and Core Demands

The Enforcement Directorate has also registered an Enforcement Case Information Report (ECIR) under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act in connection with alleged irregularities in examinations conducted by the JPSC. According to officials, the agency is examining the alleged money trail and financial transactions connected with the matter.

The development comes against the backdrop of an ongoing CID investigation into alleged discrepancies in JPSC recruitment examinations and the process through which TSR Data Processing Private Limited (TDPL), a Lucknow-based company engaged by JPSC to conduct examinations, was empanelled and awarded the work. TDPL had reportedly been blacklisted by the JSSC in May 2025 following allegations of irregularities.

The issue has also seen the resignation of three serving JPSC members, including Ajita Bhattacharya, Anima Hansda and Jamal Ahmed. The Jharkhand government had earlier agreed to cancel the JPSC Preliminary Test following discussions with protesting students. However, the protesters continued to demand a CBI probe into the wider allegations and said their agitation would continue.

Chief Minister Hemant Soren had assured protesters that "justice will be delivered with full transparency".

ABVP Condemns Crackdown, Announces 'Gherao'

Meanwhile, the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) condemned the lathi charge, water cannons and alleged arrests of students and media personnel. ABVP said students marching towards the Legislative Assembly with demands concerning their future should have been met with dialogue rather than police action.

The organisation demanded an independent investigation into the police action, accountability for those responsible and a high-level probe into alleged question-paper leaks and examination irregularities. ABVP said it would lead a 'Gherao' of the Jharkhand Legislative Assembly on August 11, with thousands of students expected to march from Old Assembly Tinkonia Ground.

ABVP National General Secretary Dr Virendra Singh Solanki said, "The irregularities reported in JPSC and JSSC examinations have put the future of thousands of students in Jharkhand at stake. Instead of addressing their genuine concerns, the government has chosen the path of lathi-charge, water cannons and arrests against students exercising their democratic rights. This is highly condemnable and exposes the government's anti-student attitude."

He demanded that examinations whose credibility was in doubt be cancelled, an impartial investigation be conducted and reforms introduced in the examination system.

ABVP Jharkhand State Secretary Prakash Tuti said, "The lathi-charge and use of water cannons against students who were peacefully marching towards the Legislative Assembly over irregularities in JPSC and JSSC examinations is shameful and unacceptable."

He added, "Students' voices cannot be suppressed through police force. ABVP will lead a peaceful Assembly Gherao tomorrow against this high-handed action."

Karnataka Home Minister Priyank Kharge also expressed support for dialogue, saying, "Whether in Maharashtra or Jharkhand--there is immense discontent among students. However, I believe that when the path to communication and negotiation is open, it should be pursued."

Aditi, JNU AISA president, also extended support to the protesting students in Jharkhand.

The agitation has now emerged as a larger political and student issue, with protesters insisting that the credibility of recruitment examinations must be protected through an independent investigation and institutional reforms. The immediate demands of the JPSC-JSSC aspirants include cancellation of the JSSC-CGL examination, a CBI probe into alleged irregularities and reforms in the recruitment process.

The government, meanwhile, has maintained that it has accepted demands falling within its jurisdiction and that the cancellation of the CGL examination involves legal considerations. Meanwhile, ABVP has announced another Assembly march for Tuesday, even as student groups vowed to continue their agitation. (ANI)

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianet Newsable English staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)