Ranchi: Student protesters in Jharkhand's Ranchi continued their agitation for the 19th consecutive day on Wednesday, while the protest leader Devendra Nath Mahto’s hunger strike entered day 11. The student body alleged that the government has neither taken positive steps nor initiated talks with them.
The agitation intensified after Monday's Vidhan Sabha gherao march, when police used water cannons and lathis to disperse protesters.
The Ranchi court granted bail to Amarnath Pandey, the accused who was arrested after throwing ink on Neha Bora, the president of All India Students Association (AISA) during a rally.
Many officials spoke out against the alleged police atrocities, for instance, Opposition Leader of Jharkhand Babulal Marandi who alleged that police used force to remove protesting students from their protest site in Ranchi late Tuesday night. He claimed senior police and district officials reached the site around 1:30-2 a.m. and tried to weaken the agitation. He also alleged that the government was attempting to suppress the movement to avoid a CBI probe into examination irregularities. Meanwhile, Ranchi Superintendent of Police Paras Rana, said officials had not gone to the site to detain anyone.
On the other hand, Congress leaders of Jharkhand defended the government stating that the BJP is trying to take political advantage of the protest by giving irregular statements.
“A probe by the CBI, ‘a tool of the Centre’, will yield the ‘desired results’ for them even in Jharkhand”, asserted four Congress ministers – Radha Krishna Kishore, Shilpy Neha Tirkey, Dipika Pandey Singh and Irfan Ansari – at a press conference.
In Palamu district, a large number of people, including students and parents, under the banner of 'Jharkhand Chhatra Nyay Satyagraha' staged a demonstration to protest the police lathi-charge on students.
The ex-CM of Jharkhand, Raghubar Das threatened to sit on a hunger strike if the CBI probe is not involved in the alleged exam-paper leak case. ABVP also announced the wing is planning on nationwide protests in universities.
The students who were on hunger strike, later shifted to hospitals due to deteriorating health are in stable condition, stated the officials. A medical team from Sadar Hospital visited the site following reports of declining health among some protesters.
The student leader, Devendra Nath Mahto is still admitted in hospital. He shared a letter he wrote to the hospital chief on his X platform which states that he wishes to be back on the protest site with the protesting students. Shilpi Neha Tirkey, Minister of Agriculture, Animal Husbandry & Co-operative of the Jharkhand Legislative Assembly, visited the student leader Devendra Nath Mahto at the hospital.
