Jharkhand bandh disrupted normal life across several parts of the state on Tuesday as BJP workers staged protests over police action against job aspirants who had marched towards the state Assembly in Ranchi a day earlier. Schools and business establishments remained closed in many areas, while traffic movement dropped sharply in Ranchi and several other cities.
The shutdown came after police used water cannons, tear gas shells and batons on protesters during Monday’s march over alleged irregularities in recruitment examinations conducted by the Jharkhand Public Service Commission (JPSC) and Jharkhand Staff Selection Commission (JSSC).
The BJP had called the statewide bandh from 8 am to midnight, with essential services kept outside its scope. State BJP president Aditya Sahu said the shutdown was intended to protest what the party described as excessive police action against students and job aspirants.
In Ranchi, BJP workers blocked roads in Kishorganj, Argora and Kanke, according to police. Protesters also burnt tyres at Harmu Chowk and Kishorganj Chowk, leading to disruption of traffic in parts of the state capital.
The bandh followed a tense confrontation on Monday when thousands of job aspirants attempted to march towards the Assembly. Protesters breached several barricades as they moved towards the premises, after which clashes broke out between demonstrators and police personnel.
Police deployed water cannons near Jagannathpur Temple and fired tear gas shells as the protesters advanced. Several demonstrators said they were injured during the confrontation, while Ranchi police reported that 14 policemen also suffered injuries.
The BJP has accused the JMM-led state government of responding to the students’ concerns with force instead of addressing allegations surrounding the recruitment examinations. Party leaders described the police action as an attack on students exercising their right to protest.
BJP leaders, including Leader of Opposition in the Jharkhand Legislative Assembly Babulal Marandi and state president Aditya Sahu, have backed the protesters’ demand for an independent investigation into alleged irregularities in the recruitment process.
The students and job aspirants have been protesting since July 25. Their demands include greater transparency in recruitment examinations, reforms in the functioning of the JPSC and JSSC, cancellation of several examinations and an independent investigation into the allegations.
The protesters have also demanded a probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation or by a panel of retired high court judges from outside Jharkhand. Their central argument is that the recruitment system must be made transparent and credible so that candidates can compete without concerns over alleged manipulation or irregularities.
The BJP has strongly supported those demands and accused the Hemant Soren government of adopting what Aditya Sahu called a “dictatorial” approach towards protesting students. Sahu alleged that students had been treated like criminals and demanded an end to what he described as “barbaric action”.
The political response to the confrontation has extended beyond Jharkhand’s ruling coalition and opposition parties. Congress MP and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi condemned the use of force against the protesters and said students had the right to hold peaceful demonstrations.
Gandhi called for dialogue between the government and the protesting students and urged the Jharkhand administration to address their concerns without delay.
His remarks, however, triggered a political counterattack from BJP leaders. The BJP questioned Gandhi’s position, pointing out that the Congress is part of the Hemant Soren-led government in Jharkhand.
Chief Minister Hemant Soren has taken a different approach from the opposition’s criticism. He appealed to the protesting students to maintain peace and resolve their grievances through dialogue.
Soren said the government recognised the democratic right of students to raise concerns and assured them that their demands would be examined with seriousness and sensitivity. At the same time, he accused opposition leaders of attempting to use the agitation for political gain and urged students not to fall into what he termed a “political trap”.
The chief minister also said his government remained committed to making the recruitment examination system more transparent, secure and accountable.
The controversy has gained further significance because the protests now coincide with major investigative developments into alleged irregularities in recruitment examinations.
On Monday, the Enforcement Directorate began a money laundering investigation into alleged irregularities in multiple recruitment examinations, with particular attention to the JSSC-CGL examination.
The agency took cognisance of a state CID FIR, along with other complaints and chargesheets, before initiating proceedings under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act. The ED investigation adds a new dimension to an issue that had previously centred largely on student protests, examination procedures and the functioning of recruitment bodies.
The state CID has also intensified its investigation. In another major development, the agency arrested former JPSC chairperson L Khiangte in connection with the alleged examination irregularities.
Khiangte, a retired IAS officer and former chief secretary of Jharkhand, had been questioned four times since July 28 before his arrest. His detention brought the number of people arrested by the state agency in the case to 20.
The arrest came just a day after all three serving JPSC members — Ajeeta Bhattacharya, Anima Hansda and Jamal Ahmad — resigned amid growing protests and the ongoing CID investigation.
The sequence of arrests, resignations and fresh investigations has increased pressure on the state government to explain how the alleged irregularities occurred and what measures will be taken to prevent similar controversies in future examinations.
For thousands of candidates preparing for government jobs, the dispute is about more than a single examination. Recruitment examinations determine access to scarce government employment opportunities, making allegations of irregularities particularly sensitive among young people who spend years preparing for competitive tests.
The prolonged protests reflect the frustration of candidates who want certainty that recruitment examinations will be conducted fairly and that any allegations of malpractice will be investigated independently.
The agitation also took a serious turn on Monday when JLKM leader Devendra Nath Mahto, who has been on hunger strike for nine days, suffered a deterioration in his health.
Mahto was taken to Ranchi Sadar Hospital after his blood sugar level dropped sharply. Doctors described his condition as critical. Despite his health problems, he joined the march in an ambulance and later addressed protesters.
Mahto alleged that authorities were attempting to suppress the students’ movement and said he would continue to support their demands.
The government’s position is that it has already accepted several demands raised by the protesters. However, the continuing demonstrations suggest that a section of students and job aspirants remains dissatisfied with the government’s response and wants an independent mechanism to examine the allegations.
The bandh has therefore become a larger political and administrative challenge for the Jharkhand government. What began as a dispute over recruitment examinations has now drawn the BJP, Congress, student organisations, opposition leaders, the state CID and the Enforcement Directorate into the controversy.
For the government, the immediate challenge is to prevent further confrontation while maintaining confidence in the recruitment system. For the protesting candidates, the demand remains centred on transparency, accountability and an assurance that government recruitment examinations will be conducted fairly.
The developments surrounding the JPSC and JSSC examinations are also likely to remain under scrutiny as the ED and CID investigations progress. The outcome of those investigations could have significant implications for candidates, recruitment bodies and the credibility of the state’s competitive examination system.
Meanwhile, the statewide bandh has demonstrated the political weight of the recruitment controversy. With schools and businesses affected and traffic disrupted across several areas, the issue has moved well beyond examination halls and into the centre of Jharkhand’s political debate.
As investigations continue and students maintain pressure for an independent probe, the government’s handling of the agitation will be closely watched. The immediate priority, however, remains finding a way to address the candidates’ concerns without allowing further clashes between protesters and police to escalate the situation.