Tear gas fired on students as protesters close in on Jharkhand Assembly premises

Ranchi, Aug 10 (IANS) As the examination protests intensified in Jharkhand, police lobbed tear gas shells on students as they breached barricades and closed in on the Assembly premises.

The students marched towards the Assembly premises despite heightened security arrangements in the area as their protest over alleged Irregularities in recruitment examinations continued. Police carried out a lathi charge and deployed water cannons after the protesters moved closer to the Assembly.

Water cannons were used after the protesting students breached multiple barricades put up by the security personnel and continued their march towards the Assembly.

Despite the powerful jets of water being directed at them, several protesters were seen dancing and continuing to raise slogans.

Speaking to the reporters, Ranchi City SP Paras Rana said: “There are many people who are not ready to listen to anyone. They are neither listening to the JPSC Reform Manch nor the Nyay Manch. They are not ready to listen to anyone.”

Even though earlier the protest was “largely peaceful, it has now gone out of the hands of those organising it”, he said.

“The organisers have repeatedly appealed to people to remain peaceful. Despite their appeals, 90 per cent of the students are peaceful, but around 10 per cent of the crowd is unwilling to listen and is resorting to violence. Some of them are also pelting stones. We had to use mild force to evacuate the police personnel,” Rana told IANS.

“In the area from where the stones were being pelted, we deliberately fired two smoke grenades, which were dummy rounds, to create a psychological effect and make them move away from that area,” he added.

The protest has been led by aspirants seeking greater transparency, accountability and fairness in the recruitment process.

The march escalated after protesters managed to break through several barricades put up by security personnel and continued towards the Vidhan Sabha.

The students have maintained that their agitation will continue until their demands regarding the recruitment examinations are addressed and concrete action is taken against those responsible for irregularities.

–IANS

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