As the Jharkhand students' protest enters day 17, the agitators continue raising voices against alleged irregularities in the Jharkhand Public Service Commission (JPSC) and Jharkhand Staff Selection Commission (JSSC) recruitment examinations.
After the sixth round of talks with the Jharkhand government failed to reach a breakthrough on Sunday, the students protesting in the state are set to hold a 'Vidhan Sabha Gherao' march in Ranchi on Monday. The students are protesting over alleged irregularities in Jharkhand Public Service Commission (JPSC) and Jharkhand Staff Selection Commission (JSSC) examinations. Security across Ranchi has been beefed up ahead of the march.
Tight security arrangements have been made in the capital, Ranchi, in view of the students' "Vidhan Sabha siege". The Ranchi district administration has imposed Section 163 (formerly Section 144) of the Indian Civil Procedure Code (CPC) within a 750-metre radius of the newly constructed Vidhan Sabha complex.
Here are the latest updates on the Jharkhand protest:
- Student protestors crossed three barricades to reach the assembly. visuals.
-JLKM leader Devendra Nath Mahto, who has been on a nine-day fast over alleged recruitment irregularities, joined the students' march to the Jharkhand Assembly in an ambulance.
-PSC-JSSC aspirants march towards Ranchi Assembly, face police barricades, and break through the first barricade while advancing towards the Assembly.
- Protestors carry posters in hand during the march towards Assembly.
- MLA Jairam Kumar Mahato says, "This is a failure of the govt. They should have accepted the demand (of cancellation of exams).The govt 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."
- BJP's Jharkhand unit spokesperson Pratul Shahdeo says he and several other leaders are under house arrest since 7 am
-Police detain BJP leaders, including Aditya Sahu and Babulal Marandi, protesting outside the CM's residence over exam irregularities.
- BJP state president Aditya Sahu, leader of the opposition Babulal Marandi, and all BJP MLAs have staged a sit-in protest on the road leading to the Chief Minister's residence. BJP leaders are supporting the students' demand for a CBI investigation into the JPSC recruitment scandal.
- The protesting students rejected the government's claim that it had accepted 98 per cent of their demands, saying only "three of the 13 examinations they wanted to be cancelled had been scrapped.
-The Jharkhand students' 'Vidhan Sabha March' is scheduled to begin between 10:30 and 11 am on Monday, with protesters gathering at Jaipal Singh Munda Stadium from 9 am. Student leader Ravindra Paswan urged participants to maintain peace and follow constitutional norms, saying students from districts across Jharkhand were expected to join the march.
- Ahead of the march, the Jharkhand Police and administration have tightened security, installing razor fencing along the route near Jagannath Temple. A prohibitory order under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) is also in force within a 750-metre radius of the state Assembly.
-The protesting students have left from Jaipal Singh Munda Stadium to participate in Vidhan Sabha march today, August 10, as reported by news agency ANI. The protesting JPSC-JSSC aspirants have appealed to students to maintain unity and ensure that Monday's Vidhan Sabha march remains peaceful.
-ED has stepped in to investigate irregularities in the Jharkhand Public Service Commission (JPSC) 14th preliminary exam. The ED filed an ECIR last week based on the FIR registered with CID. Earlier on Sunday, the Hemant Soren-led government announced a CID and ED probe into alleged recruitment irregularities after a marathon meeting with the JPSC-JSSC protesting students.
-Students and aspirants started arriving at Jaipal Singh Munda Stadium in Ranchi for the Assembly March. At 10 a.m., they will all march together to surround the Assembly.
