BJP's Bandh in Jharkhand: Protests and Police Detentions Mark the Day
Protests Erupt Across Jharkhand
Screengrab image shows several BJP workers being detained by police during protest
(Source: @MeghUpdates/X)
Ranchi, Aug 11: The bandh initiated by the BJP throughout Jharkhand, along with the Assembly gherao organized by the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) in Ranchi on Tuesday, was a response to the police's lathicharge on students protesting alleged irregularities in the JPSC and JSSC recruitment exams. The response to the bandh was mixed.
In the state capital, BJP supporters demonstrated and obstructed roads in various areas, while ABVP members trying to march towards the Jharkhand Assembly were intercepted and detained by law enforcement.
Despite some disruptions, daily life in many parts of Ranchi remained largely unaffected during the morning. Most businesses operated normally, and traffic flowed smoothly across the city.
Starting around 8 a.m., BJP activists took to the streets in multiple neighborhoods, urging shopkeepers to close their businesses in solidarity with the bandh. Road blockages were reported on Kanke Road, Ratu Road, Harmu Chowk, Argora Chowk, Bodeya, and near the CMPDI gate.
Protesters set fire to tyres in several locations, causing temporary traffic disruptions until police intervened to clear the roads.
In Namkum, BJP supporters held a sit-in at Bazaar Chowk around 11 a.m., blocking the Ranchi-Jamshedpur highway after burning tyres. Police later detained the demonstrators and lifted the blockade, leading to long traffic queues on both sides of the highway.
A similar protest occurred in Lowadih, led by BJP Mandal president Ashok Gop. According to police reports, 11 supporters were detained in Lowadih and 17 in Namkum, and taken to the local police station.
However, the bandh's impact varied across the state capital, with markets remaining open and traffic moving normally in areas such as Main Road, Bariatu, and Morabadi.
Meanwhile, the ABVP's Assembly gherao program saw activists from across the state gather near the old Assembly complex to protest against the police's actions on students involved in the JPSC-JSSC movement.
Activists chanted slogans and attempted to advance towards the Assembly premises but were halted by police.
A brief altercation occurred between the protesters and security forces during the standoff.
Police subsequently detained the activists and transported them in buses. In a dramatic display, some student leaders climbed onto the roofs of the buses, continuing to chant slogans, while others lay down in front of and behind the vehicles.
Outside Ranchi, the bandh had a more significant impact in several districts, including Hazaribagh, Palamu, Giridih, and Chatra, where BJP workers organized demonstrations and road blockades, disrupting vehicular movement.
In Palamu district, BJP supporters blocked roads at Chhahmuhan and Redma Chowk in Daltonganj from early morning. Amit Tiwari, BJP's Palamu district president, accused the state government of jeopardizing the future of the youth through alleged irregularities in recruitment exams.
In Simdega, party workers obstructed National Highway-143 at various points, including Biru, causing traffic disruptions. Similar road blockades were reported from Dhanwar in Giridih district and Pratappur in Chatra district. Demonstrations supporting the bandh were also noted in several other regions of the state.
The bandh was called following clashes between students and police during a march towards the Jharkhand Assembly. Thousands of students had gathered on Monday, demanding the cancellation of the disputed JPSC and JSSC exams, reforms in the recruitment process, and a CBI investigation into the alleged irregularities.
Police had set up multiple barricades to prevent protesters from reaching the Assembly. Water cannons and tear gas were deployed to disperse the crowd, leading to a lathicharge. Reports indicated that several students and police personnel sustained injuries during the confrontation.