Ranchi, September 5: The Jharkhand BJP has announced a four-day statewide agitation from September 8 to protest cases registered against students during demonstrations over alleged irregularities in recruitment examinations conducted by the Jharkhand Public Service Commission (JPSC) and Jharkhand Staff Selection Commission (JSSC).
Jharkhand BJP president Aditya Sahu said party workers would gherao the offices of Deputy Commissioners (DCs) and Superintendents of Police (SPs) in all 24 districts between September 8 and 11, with six districts covered each day.
The programme will begin on September 8 in Ranchi, Dumka, Hazaribagh, Giridih, Jamshedpur and Garhwa.
On September 9, demonstrations are scheduled in Koderma, Sahibganj, Bokaro, Palamu, Simdega and Chaibasa. On September 10, the agitation will be held in Seraikela-Kharsawan, Pakur, Dhanbad, Gumla, Latehar and Chatra. The final phase on September 11 will cover Ramgarh, Deoghar, Lohardaga, Khunti, Godda and Jamtara.
The announcement came after the BJP’s 48-hour deadline to the state government over the issue expired.
A BJP delegation led by Sahu and Leader of Opposition Babulal Marandi had submitted a memorandum to Chief Secretary Avinash Kumar on September 2, demanding the withdrawal of cases filed against students during protests and a CBI inquiry into recruitment examinations held over the past seven years.
Sahu claimed that around 1,000 students had faced criminal cases in connection with the protests and alleged that the government was attempting to suppress legitimate student agitation through police action.
He also alleged that students were subjected to baton charges during the protests, while those whom the BJP accused of attacking demonstrators were not subjected to similar action.
The allegations have not been independently verified. The state government’s response to the BJP’s latest allegations was not immediately available.
The proposed district-level gheraos are expected to further intensify the political confrontation over recruitment examinations, student protests and police action in Jharkhand.
The BJP has said the agitation will focus on its demand for justice for students and accountability in the recruitment process.
