BJP Calls for Jharkhand Bandh in Response to Police Action Against Students

Ranchi, August 11: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has organized a statewide bandh in Jharkhand today, protesting against police action against students demonstrating irregularities in the Jharkhand Public Service Commission (JPSC) and Jharkhand Staff Selection Commission (JSSC) recruitment exams. The bandh has significantly impacted several districts across the state.

BJP workers have taken to the streets in Ranchi, Hazaribagh, Palamu, Giridih, and Chatra in support of the bandh, blocking roads in various areas. At Harmu Chowk in Ranchi, activists set tires ablaze, causing traffic disruptions. Protesters chanted slogans against the state government and condemned the police’s actions against the students. Police forces have been deployed at major intersections to maintain order.

The administration has increased surveillance to ensure law and order during the bandh. In Palamu district, the effects of the bandh were evident from the morning, with BJP workers blocking roads at Chhamuhan and Redma Chowk in Daltonganj. Amit Tiwari, the BJP’s Palamu district president, accused the state government of jeopardizing the future of the youth.

In Simdega, BJP workers also took to the streets early in the day, blocking National Highway-143 at several locations, including Biru. This led to significant disruptions in vehicle movement. Activists voiced their opposition to the police action against students. Reports of road blockades by BJP workers have also emerged from Dhanwar in Giridih and Pratappur in Chatra, with demonstrations reported from other districts as well.

The BJP announced on Monday that the bandh would last from 8 AM to 11 PM, assuring that health services and pilgrims visiting religious sites in Deoghar would be exempt from the bandh’s restrictions. The call for the bandh followed clashes between students and police during a protest at the assembly.

Thousands of students had marched towards the assembly demanding the cancellation of the controversial JPSC and JSSC exams, reforms in the recruitment process, and a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) inquiry into the alleged irregularities. Police had set up multiple barricades to stop them, and when protesters attempted to advance, water cannons and tear gas were deployed, leading to a lathi charge. Several students and police officers were injured during the incident.