Police complaint filed, Candle March taken out
Surendra Soren
Ranchi
The ongoing student agitation against alleged irregularities in recruitment examinations conducted by the Jharkhand Public Service Commission (JPSC) and Jharkhand Staff Selection Commission (JSSC) witnessed dramatic developments on Friday, as internal differences among protesters led to a confrontation at Ranchi’s Jaipal Singh Munda Stadium, a police complaint was lodged over the incident, and students later organised a candle march to press for their demands.
Tension erupted at the protest site after a section of students objected to the participation of supporters of Jharkhand Loktantrik Krantikari Morcha (JLKM) leader Devendra Nath Mahto. The protesting students insisted that the agitation should remain a students’ movement and should not be influenced by political parties or leaders. The disagreement quickly escalated into heated arguments, pushing and a brief scuffle, creating panic among those present and leading to a stampede-like situation for a short period.
The protest, which began last week, has been demanding action against alleged irregularities in JPSC and JSSC recruitment examinations. However, the latest confrontation has exposed differences among various groups associated with the movement. Some students accused political leaders and newly joined supporters of attempting to take control of the agitation for publicity and political gains, while others argued that broader support was necessary to strengthen the campaign for justice.
The dispute has now reached the Kotwali police station. Ram Avtar Mahto filed a written complaint against student leaders Kunal Pratap Singh, Rajesh Prasad, Ravindra Paswan and Vinay Mehta, along with several unidentified persons, seeking registration of an FIR. In his complaint, Mahto alleged that he was misbehaved with and threatened with death during the altercation. He also claimed that money was being collected in the name of the student movement through a QR code. Police are expected to verify the allegations before deciding on further legal action.
Despite the controversy, students continued their agitation later in the day by organising a candle march from Jaipal Singh Munda Stadium to Albert Ekka Chowk. Holding candles in one hand and copies of the Constitution in the other, the protesters reiterated that their movement was aimed at protecting the future of thousands of job aspirants and restoring public confidence in the state’s recruitment process.
The protesters submitted a five-point charter of demands, including cancellation of allegedly tainted examinations and conduct of fresh tests, a CBI probe into the alleged irregularities instead of an investigation by the state CID, and strict action against those found responsible for paper leaks and recruitment-related malpractice. Warning that the agitation would intensify if their demands remained unaddressed, the students maintained that their campaign was solely for transparency, accountability and a fair recruitment system, and should not be diverted by political interests or internal disputes.
