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Ex-JPSC head arrested, police vs protesters in Jharkhand assembly march: 5 key developments amid student stir
Jharkhand CID arrested L Khiangte, former chairperson of the state public service commission, over alleged irregularities in the recruitment examinations.
Thousands of job aspirants, protesting exam irregularities in Jharkhand, ran into violent police action on Monday as they breached barricades and attempted to reach the state assembly, which is in session. The JMM-Congress government led by Hemant Soren, meanwhile, also announced a major arrest as it seeks to placate the protesters.
Here are 5 key developments
1. Major arrest
The Jharkhand police's crime investigation department (CID) on Monday arrested L Khiangte, a former chairperson of the Jharkhand Public Service Commission (JPSC), over alleged irregularities in the recruitment examinations.
Khiangte, who was appointed as Jharkhand Public Service Commission (JPSC) chairperson in February last year after he retired as the state's chief secretary, tendered his resignation on July 22. He had resigned a day before the CID searched multiple locations, including his official residence, in connection with the alleged irregularities. He was questioned four times since July 28.
The arrest comes a day after all three JPSC members resigned amid massive protests by aspirants over alleged irregularities in recruitment tests conducted by the agency. With Khiangte's arrest, the number of people arrested by CID in this case has risen to 20.
Khiangte, however, had said he “voluntarily chose to resign” to ensure an impartial investigation into the matter.
2. Protesting job aspirants clash face police action
As protesters in Ranchi attempted to reach the state assembly, several of them were injured in police action, which took place when they reached the final barricade near Jagannathpur Temple on the road to the new assembly complex.
"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," Piyush Kumar Soni, a protester, told news agency PTI, “Police hit us on our head, arms, face, everywhere.”
Besides imposing prohibitory orders, heavy security has been deployed on the entire stretch, around 4 km long, with senior officers keeping a close watch, officials said.
More than 1,500 personnel from the Rapid Action Force, Indian Reserve Battalion, district police and QRT have been deployed, they said.
3. CM's birthday, his father's photo
The march coincided with the 51st birthday of CM Hemant Soren. It began from outside the old assembly building around 10.30 am as the protest over the recruitment exam irregularities entered the 17th day.
JLKM leader Devendra Nath Mahto, who has been on a fast for nine days over the issue, joined the march in an ambulance and was later carried on a stretcher by fellow protesters.
He was seen carrying a portrait of former chief minister Shibu Soren, Hemant's father who is seen as the architect of Jharkhand as it emerged as a state after bifurcation of Bihar in 2000.
Objecting to the installation of barbed-wire barricades along the route of the assembly march, Mahto said anger was brewing among students over the injustices done to them. The JPSC-JSSC Reforms Manch, which is spearheading the agitation, said it has deployed around 500 volunteers to prevent anti-social elements from joining the march.
4. Amid water cannons, dancing protesters
Armed with the tricolour and placards that read 'Cancel JSSC-CGL Exams or Conduct a CBI Probe', ‘Why is CID escaping from conducting a raid on JSSC?’ and ‘Conduct an impartial investigation, bring out the truth’, thousands of young men and women breached one barricade after the other amid heavy security deployment.
As police used water cannons when the march reached Jagannathpur Temple, the demonstrators broke into dance, waving the Indian national flag. But the situation soon escalated when the protesters attempted to march forward, prompting the police to baton charge. That largely dispersed the crowd.
5. Progress on demands so far
The government has held several rounds of talks with the demonstrators, but failed to break the deadlock. After the last round of deliberations, the government said it had accepted “98 per cent” of the demands of the demonstrators.
However, the protesters – who have the backing also of the Cockroach Janta Party that successfully protested for the Union education minister's resigantion last month — said the government had agreed to cancel only three of the 13 exams they wanted scrapped. The agitators are demanding comprehensive reforms in the Jharkhand Public Service Commission (JPSC) and Jharkhand Staff Selection Commission (JSSC).
They are also seeking cancellation of several recruitment tests, including the 14th Jharkhand PSC Civil Services Examination, and an independent probe into the alleged irregularities, either by the CBI or by a panel of retired high court judges from outside the state. The JMM-led government is apparently not keen on a central agency, reporting the BJP-led government of PM Narendra Modi, entering the fray.
