Indian police use tear gas, water cannons against job seekers in Jharkhand
The protesters are demanding cancellation of exams over alleged irregularities and an independent probe into the recruitment process.
Highlights:
- Thousands of students and job aspirants marched towards Jharkhand assembly
- Police used tear gas, water cannons and batons to stop protesters
- Protesters are demanding recruitment exam reforms and an independent probe
- Over 1,500 security personnel were deployed along the march route
- BJP accused Rahul Gandhi and Congress of "double standards" over the protests
Indian police used tear gas, water cannons and batons against thousands of job aspirants and students who tried to reach the legislative assembly in Ranchi, the capital of opposition-ruled Jharkhand, today (10 August).
The protesters, who have been demonstrating for 17 days over irregularities in state government recruitment exams, broke through several security barricades before police stopped them near Jagannathpur Temple, on the road leading to the assembly.
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Several protesters said they were injured during the police action.
"The baton charge was barbaric. We were protesting peacefully, but the government used batons against us. They can only inflict physical injuries, not harm our thoughts," protester Piyush Kumar Soni told the media.
Carrying Indian flags and placards, the protesters raised slogans in support of their demands as they marched towards the assembly, which is currently in session.
The march coincided with Chief Minister Hemant Soren's 51st birthday.
The protesters are demanding action over alleged irregularities in recruitment examinations and broader reforms to the state's recruitment system. They are also seeking an independent investigation into the alleged irregularities.
Jharkhand Loktantrik Kranti Morcha leader Devendra Nath Mahto, who has been on a nine-day hunger strike, joined the march in an ambulance. He was seen carrying a portrait of Shibu Soren, Hemant Soren's father and a former chief minister of Jharkhand.
More than 1,500 security personnel were deployed along the four-kilometre route of the march, officials said.
The state government has claimed that it has accepted 98% of the protesters' demands. Protesters, however, said the government had agreed to cancel only three of the 13 examinations they had raised concerns about.
Jharkhand is governed by the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM), which is an ally of the Congress and part of the opposition INDIA alliance.
The BJP has criticised Congress leader Rahul Gandhi over what it called his "double standards" on the student protests in Jharkhand.
The BJP alleged that Gandhi had tried to "politically hijack" a student agitation in Delhi over alleged examination irregularities but was now silent about the protests in Jharkhand because the state government is led by a Congress ally.
The protests in Jharkhand come weeks after a student agitation in Delhi over alleged examination paper leaks, which also drew political attention and led to calls for reforms in the recruitment and examination system.
