Jharkhand Students, Hemant Soren Party Workers Clash Over Burning Of Effigy

Clashes broke out between the protesting students and police in Jharkhand's Capital Ranchi and several other places in the state on Friday evening as the agitators attempted to burn effigies of Chief Minister Hemant Soren and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, officials said.

Similar incidents were reported from Hazaribag and Giridih, where JMM workers clashed with students trying to burn effigies of Soren.

Student leaders under the banner of the 'JPSC-JSSC Reforms Manch' have accused the Jharkhand government of "deceiving" and "betraying" job aspirants, after the high court stayed some notifications cancelling appointments through the 11th and 13th JPSC exams besides the JSSC-CGL.

"They gathered in large number at the prominent Albert Chowk to burn effigies of CM Soren and Rahul Gandhi. When the police tried to control them, a scuffle broke out... JMM workers were also present at the spot," police said.

Ranchi DSP KV Raman said the scuffle broke out after protesting students changed the designated route and brought traffic to a halt.

"The students changed the route defined for the march and effigy burning... They went to the JPSC office and brought traffic to a halt there. The agitators did not listen to our repeated pleas to adhere to the designated route," Raman said.

The student leaders alleged that the police and workers of the ruling Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) tried to prevent them from holding a peaceful march.

"They cannot stop us from holding peaceful and democratic protests," JPSC-JSSC Reforms Manch leader Ravindra Paswan said.

Piyush Kumar Singh, another student leader, claimed that one of the core committee members of the Manch, Kunal, was detained by the police, but he fainted and was subsequently taken to Sadar Hospital.
The agitators also alleged that even female protesters were thrashed during the scuffle by JMM workers.

The students had called off their agitation earlier this week after the Soren government decided to cancel the JPSC exams where irregularities were alleged.

The high court on Friday stayed notifications cancelling the appointments of Child Development Project Officers (CDPOs) and those recruited through the JSSC-CGL examination.

On Thursday, the court had stayed notifications cancelling the 11th and 13th Jharkhand Public Service Commission (JPSC) examinations, and also stayed the order cancelling the appointments of food safety officers.

Meanwhile, JLKM leader Devendra Nath Mahto said it would launch a 'Recruitment System Reforms Yatra' from August 24, alleging that the Jharkhand government was not strongly defending cases related to the cancellation of several recruitment examinations in the high court.
He warned that if the government failed to effectively present its case before the Jharkhand High Court on September 15, when matters are scheduled for hearing, they would plan to gherao the chief minister's residence.