United News of Bangladesh

Police used batons and water cannons to disperse thousands of students protesting in Ranchi after they broke through barricades while marching toward the Jharkhand Assembly. The protest came as the state CID arrested former Jharkhand Public Service Commission (JPSC) chairperson L Khiangte over alleged irregularities in recruitment examinations. Khiangte resigned from the post on July 22. Thousands of students arrived in the state capital from different districts by train, bus and other vehicles to demand reforms in recruitment examinations. Student leader Devendra Mahto, who has been on a hunger strike, also joined the march. Police had placed barricades at major intersections and other sensitive locations across the city and deployed large numbers of personnel to prevent any law-and-order problems. When protesters crossed the barricades and moved toward the Assembly, police used water cannons and baton charges to disperse them. Some students danced in front of the water cannons, in scenes reminiscent of recent student protests in Patna over the NEET medical entrance examination. "The government should listen to us and respond," one protesting student told local media. Most schools in Ranchi remained closed as a precaution. Police also checked buses and private vehicles at district borders, along major roads and highways in an apparent attempt to limit the number of protesters reaching the capital. Meanwhile, BJP leaders staged a separate protest outside the residence of Chief Minister Hemant Soren. The students' movement was largely triggered by allegations of question paper leaks and other irregularities in recruitment examinations conducted by the JPSC and Jharkhand Staff Selection Commission (JSSC). The latest march came after several rounds of talks between student groups and a government-appointed panel failed to end the protest, which has continued for 16 days. A sixth round of talks held on Sunday also failed to produce an agreement, with the students continuing to demand a probe by India's Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) into the alleged irregularities. The state government, however, said it had accepted 98% of the students' demands and urged them to call off the protest. The unrest also came despite Chief Minister Soren's appeal for dialogue, with the chief minister saying problems could be resolved through discussions rather than the use of force. Source: NDTV