Students danced and cheered as Jharkhand Police used water cannons to stop their march towards the Vidhan Sabha in Ranchi.
The JPSC-JSSC Reform Morcha is demanding cancellation of certain recruitment exams and a CBI probe into alleged irregularities.
Protest leader Devendra Nath Mahto, who is on hunger strike, joined the march on a stretcher, while BJP leaders were detained during a separate demonstration.
As police water cannons sprayed a crowd of protesting students in Ranchi on Monday, some demonstrators responded in an unexpected way — by dancing. Videos from the protest site showed students cheering and dancing as water jets were used to stop their march towards the Jharkhand Vidhan Sabha, in dramatic scenes during the ongoing agitation over alleged irregularities in recruitment examinations.
Students Dance As Police Stop Assembly March
The protesters were marching towards the Assembly as part of a Vidhan Sabha Gherao organised by the JPSC-JSSC Reform Morcha. Police erected barricades to stop the students from advancing and later deployed water cannons when some protesters attempted to push through them.
Despite the police action, several students continued to dance and cheer as the water cannons were directed towards the crowd. In one striking moment, a student climbed onto a police barricade and danced while the water cannon operation continued nearby.
The protest has entered its 17th day, with students demanding the cancellation of certain recruitment examinations conducted by the Jharkhand Public Service Commission (JPSC) and Jharkhand Staff Selection Commission (JSSC), as well as a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into alleged irregularities.
Large numbers of students had gathered at Jaipal Singh Munda Stadium before beginning their march. Many protesters were seen wearing T-shirts marked “VOLUNTEER”.
Devendra Nath Mahto Joins March From Ambulance
JPSC protest leader Devendra Nath Mahto, who has been on an indefinite hunger strike, also joined the march towards the Assembly.
Mahto left for the protest site in an ambulance and was later seen being carried on a stretcher by supporters as the demonstration continued.
The protest has drawn heavy police deployment across Ranchi as authorities attempted to prevent demonstrators from reaching the Assembly.
The agitation has been led by students demanding action over alleged irregularities in JPSC and JSSC-CGL examinations and the wider recruitment process in the state.
BJP Leaders Detained Amid Protests
The student demonstration coincided with a separate BJP protest outside Chief Minister Hemant Soren's residence.
Several BJP leaders, including former Jharkhand Chief Minister Babulal Marandi and state BJP president Aditya Sahu, were detained while taking part in the demonstration.
The Ranchi protests come amid growing pressure on the state government to address allegations surrounding recruitment examinations. Students have called for greater transparency and a CBI investigation, while the government has faced increasing political pressure over the issue.
The scenes in Ranchi also recalled a recent protest in Patna by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), where demonstrators similarly danced under water cannons and climbed police barricades during police action.
With the Jharkhand agitation continuing into its third week, the confrontation between protesters and authorities has become a prominent flashpoint over the state's recruitment examination system.
