RANCHI, August 23: Prior permission from the competent authority will now be mandatory for organising protests, rallies, processions, sit-ins and public meetings in Ranchi, Deputy Commissioner Manjunath Bhajantri said on Sunday, amid continuing demonstrations over the JPSC-JSSC recruitment examination issue.
In a post on X, Bhajantri said protests and public gatherings without prior information to the administration could affect law and order, public safety and traffic movement, causing inconvenience to commuters.
He said peaceful protests are part of citizens’ constitutional rights, but their exercise must comply with applicable laws and directions issued by competent authorities, while keeping public order, safety, traffic management and the rights of other citizens in mind.
Organisers will be required to provide details of the proposed programme, including the route, date, start and end time, expected number of participants and information about key participants, the Deputy Commissioner said.He clarified that the requirement for prior permission was not intended to prevent peaceful and democratic programmes but to enable the administration to make arrangements for the safety of participants, traffic management and maintenance of law and order.Bhajantri appealed to political parties, social and voluntary organisations and citizens to follow the prescribed procedures.Meanwhile, Ranchi Police urged people not to believe or circulate unverified news, videos, messages or other information shared on social media.Police alleged that some anti-social elements were deliberately spreading false information to create unrest, tension and disharmony.The police appealed to citizens to report suspicious or inflammatory content to the concerned police or administrative authorities instead of sharing it further, warning that acting on misleading information could result in legal consequences.In another development, Ranchi Cyber Police have issued a notice to X Corporation seeking details of the person managing the JPSC-JSSC Reform Manch’s social media account as part of an investigation into the August 21 clash between students and JMM workers.The notice, issued under Section 94 of the Bharatiya Nagrik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), 2023, seeks information related to the X account @JPSCreformanch.According to the notice, the account was allegedly being used to circulate videos and photographs containing what police described as false and misleading information concerning actions of the Jharkhand government.The notice also refers to provisions of the Information Technology Act, 2000, in connection with the investigation.The August 21 confrontation occurred during protests by JPSC-JSSC Reform Manch members, including demonstrations involving effigies of Chief Minister Hemant Soren and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi.Three separate FIRs have been registered against protesting students in connection with the Ranchi clash, according to police.
