Ranchi, August 11, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
The agitation by Jharkhand students over alleged irregularities in JPSC and JSSC recruitment examinations entered its 19th day on Tuesday, with protesters demanding an impartial probe and inviting Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi to visit their protest site.
The students resumed their sit-in at Jaipal Singh Munda Stadium late Monday night after police used water cannons, tear gas and baton charges to stop their march towards the Jharkhand Assembly.
Representatives of the JPSC-JSSC Reform Forum said Rahul Gandhi should visit Ranchi and meet the protesting students personally. Forum representative Ravindra Paswan said the movement was not directed against any political party but sought transparency in recruitment examinations and an impartial investigation into the alleged irregularities.
Protester Rohit Kumar Singh also urged Gandhi to visit the state. Showing injury marks on his back, he alleged that students were beaten after lights in the area near the Assembly were switched off during Monday’s protest. He further alleged that women protesters were baton-charged by male police personnel.
The protesters pointed out that Gandhi had criticised the use of force against demonstrators on Monday and supported the right to peaceful protest. They said he should now visit the protest site and hear their grievances directly.
Thousands of students had marched from Jaipal Singh Munda Stadium towards the Assembly as part of a planned gherao. After crossing several barricades and reaching close to the Assembly premises, they were stopped by security personnel. Police subsequently used water cannons, tear gas and batons to disperse the protesters.
The protesters claimed that more than 100 students suffered injuries or minor injuries during the confrontation.
The agitation is primarily centred on demands for cancellation of the JSSC-CGL examination and a CBI investigation into alleged irregularities in recruitment examinations.
The confrontation has also triggered a political row. The BJP has called a statewide bandh on Tuesday in protest against the police action, with reports of a mixed response.
The Jharkhand government, meanwhile, has maintained that several demands raised by the students have already been addressed and that the remaining issues can be resolved through dialogue.
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