BJP bandh disrupts daily life across Jharkhand

Normal life was disrupted across parts of Jharkhand on Tuesday as BJP workers enforced a statewide bandh to protest against police action on job aspirants marching towards the state Assembly over alleged irregularities in recruitment examinations.

Most schools and commercial establishments remained closed, while traffic was sparse in the state capital Ranchi and several other cities.

The shutdown was called after the police used water cannons, tear gas and batons to disperse protesters in Ranchi on Monday. BJP state president Aditya Sahu said the bandh would remain in force from 8 am until midnight, with essential services exempted.

The BJP accused the JMM-led government of committing “atrocities” against students and using force instead of addressing their concerns. The party has backed the protesters’ demand for an independent investigation into alleged irregularities in examinations conducted by the Jharkhand Public Service Commission (JPSC) and the Jharkhand Staff Selection Commission (JSSC).

The Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), which also condemned the police action, announced a separate “Vidhan Sabha March” from the old assembly building to the new legislature complex.

Tuesday’s bandh followed a tense day in Ranchi, where thousands of job aspirants attempted to march towards the assembly. Protesters broke through several layers of barricades before clashing with police personnel deployed along the route.

Several demonstrators claimed that they were injured during the police action. Ranchi police, meanwhile, said 14 personnel sustained injuries in the clashes.

Security forces deployed water cannons near the Jagannathpur Temple and fired tear gas shells as the protesters advanced towards the assembly.

The job aspirants have been protesting since 25 July, seeking greater transparency in government recruitment examinations and reforms in the functioning of the JPSC and JSSC. Their demands include the cancellation of several examinations and an independent investigation by the Central Bureau of Investigation or a panel of retired High Court judges from outside Jharkhand.

Sahu alleged that the protesters had been treated like criminals during Monday’s march and claimed that several job aspirants were injured in the police action.

With PTI inputs