BJP workers block Ranchi roads, burn tyres over police crackdown on students
Police also detain ABVP activists during march to Assembly in protest against baton-charge on students on Monday
Protests in Jharkhand’s Ranchi refused to die down on Tuesday (August 11) as BJP workers, as part of a statewide strike, burned tyres and blocked roads at several city stretches over police action against protesting students on Monday (August 10). The saffron party had called a protest from 8 am to midnight on Tuesday.
Students detained
Police also detained several activists of Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) during their procession to the Jharkhand Assembly in protest against police action on students agitating over alleged irregularities in recruitment exams in the state.
Also read: Jharkhand bandh: BJP shuts state over police action on job aspirants
Calling for the march to the Assembly, the RSS-affiliated student organisation had said they would gherao the Jharkhand Assembly on Tuesday. They sat on the ground and chanted slogans as police dragged them to buses.
Roads blocked, traffic disrupted
Reports quoting police said traffic was disrupted in several city stretches and normal life was affected as the BJP workers blocked roads near the CMPDI gate on Kanke Road and in Kishoreganj, Argora and Kanke areas. Tyres were burnt near Nucleus Mall, Harmu Chowk and Kishoreganj Chowk. Clashes between BJP workers and police have also been reported.
Also read: What explains govt’s late U-turn on student protest debate?
Protests were also reported from Ramgarh district, where BJP workers reportedly blocked the Ranchi-Patna highway on Tuesday morning and raised slogans against the Hemant Soren government. A long queue of commuters in vehicles were stranded on the NH-33 as it remained blocked for almost three hours due to protest. Kuju Police later cleared the blockade and detained some of the protesters, reports said.
Assembly adjourned
The Jharkhand assembly proceedings were also adjourned till noon amid protests by opposition BJP over Monday’s baton charge on students.
The opposition MLAs trooped into the well of the House, raising slogans against the JMM-led government, which forced Speaker Rabindra Nath Mahato to adjourn the proceedings till noon.
Lathi-charge on protesters
On Monday, thousands of job aspirants marched towards the Assembly, breached multiple barricades and clashed with the police personnel on August 10.
The police used water cannons near Jagannathpur Temple and fired tear gas shells as protesters moved towards the Assembly.
Several protesters claimed they were injured, while Ranchi police said 14 policemen suffered injuries during the protest.
Also read: Jharkhand protest: Students lathi-charged, teargassed; ex-JPSC chairperson arrested
The students and job aspirants have been agitating since July 25, demanding transparency in recruitment examinations, reforms in the functioning of the JPSC and JSSC, cancellation of several examinations and an independent investigation by the CBI or a panel of retired high court judges from outside Jharkhand.