Jharkhand Assembly adjourned sine die amid BJP uproar over student police action

The Jharkhand Assembly was adjourned sine die a day ahead of schedule after BJP MLAs protested police action against students. Amid repeated disruptions, Chief Minister Hemant Soren defended recruitment reforms and the ongoing CID probe into alleged examination irregularities

Ranchi: The Jharkhand assembly was adjourned sine die on Tuesday, a day before schedule, after BJP MLAs created a ruckus in the House over baton charge on students protesting against alleged irregularities in recruitment examinations in the state.

Speaker Rabindra Nath Mahato adjourned the House twice during the day – the first till noon and the other till 2 pm. As the proceedings resumed after 2 pm, the legislators from the ruling and the opposition trooped into the well of the House and raised slogans against each other.

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Amid uproar in the House, Chief Minister Hemant Soren said the CID probe into the alleged irregularities in the recruitment exams was underway, and claimed that agitating students accepted all reform measures proposed by the government. “The government’s intention to bring reforms in the examination system and probe into the alleged irregularities in recruitment tests is clear,” Soren said, amid the ruckus in the House.

After the CM’s brief speech, the Speaker adjourned the House sine die, before the August 12 schedule, saying that he was forced to do so with a “heavy heart and pain”. As soon as the House met for the day at 11 am, BJP MLAs started demonstrating over the baton charge on students protesting against the alleged irregularities in recruitment exams in the state a day ago. The opposition MLAs trooped into the well of the House and raised slogans against the JMM-led government for Monday’s police action on the protesting job aspirants.

Congress MLA Pradip Yadav raised the issue of students’ protest and alleged that BJP-backed miscreants had indulged in violence during the peaceful demonstration by job aspirants on Monday. Reacting to his allegation, the BJP members also demonstrated in the well of the House. Despite repeated requests by the Speaker, the saffron party members were in no mood to go back to their seats.

Unable to run the House, Mahato adjourned the proceedings till noon. As the House reassembled after noon, Leader of Opposition in the assembly, Babulal Marandi, sought Soren’s response on the alleged atrocities on students, including baton charge, firing tear gas shells and use of water cannons.

As the ruckus continued unabated, the Speaker adjourned the House till 2 pm. Thousands of job aspirants marched towards the assembly, breached multiple barricades and clashed with the police personnel on Monday.

The police used water cannons near Jagannathpur Temple and fired tear gas shells as protesters moved towards the assembly. Several protesters claimed they were injured, while Ranchi police said 14 policemen suffered injuries during protests.

The students and job aspirants have been agitating since July 25, demanding transparency in recruitment examinations, reforms in the functioning of the JPSC and JSSC, cancellation of several examinations and an independent investigation by the CBI or a panel of retired high court judges from outside Jharkhand. The BJP alleged that students had been treated like criminals during the protest march and claimed that several demonstrators were injured.