Clashes broke out between protesting students and police in Ranchi and several other parts of Jharkhand on Friday evening as students attempted to burn effigies of Chief Minister Hemant Soren and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, officials said.

Similar incidents were reported in Hazaribag and Giridih, where workers of the ruling Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) clashed with students who were trying to burn effigies of Soren.

The protesting students are affiliated with the JPSC-JSSC Reforms Manch. They have accused the Jharkhand government of deceiving and betraying job aspirants following the High Court’s intervention in cases concerning recruitment examinations and appointments.

In Ranchi, a large number of students gathered at Albert Chowk to burn the effigies. Police said a scuffle broke out when they tried to control the situation.

Ranchi DSP KV Raman said the protesters changed the designated route of their march and went towards the JPSC office, where traffic was brought to a halt.

According to Raman, police repeatedly asked the protesters to follow the designated route for the march and effigy burning, but the students did not comply.

Student leaders, however, alleged that police and JMM workers attempted to prevent them from holding a peaceful march.

“They cannot stop us from holding peaceful and democratic protests,” JPSC-JSSC Reforms Manch leader Ravindra Paswan said.

Another student leader, Piyush Kumar Singh, alleged that a core committee member of the Manch, Kunal, was detained by police. He claimed that Kunal fainted and was subsequently taken to Sadar Hospital.

The protesters also alleged that female participants were assaulted by JMM workers during the scuffle.

Why are Jharkhand students protesting?

The students had earlier called off their agitation after the Hemant Soren government decided to cancel JPSC examinations where irregularities had been alleged.

However, the Jharkhand High Court subsequently intervened in several matters related to the recruitment process.

On Friday, the court stayed notifications cancelling the appointments of Child Development Project Officers (CDPOs) and those recruited through the JSSC-CGL examination.

A day earlier, the court had stayed notifications cancelling the 11th and 13th JPSC examinations. It had also stayed the order cancelling the appointments of food safety officers.

The developments have renewed the students’ concerns over the government’s handling of recruitment-related cases.

JLKM announces recruitment reforms yatra

Meanwhile, JLKM leader Devendra Nath Mahto announced that his party would launch a ‘Recruitment System Reforms Yatra’ from August 24.

Mahto alleged that the Jharkhand government was not strongly defending cases concerning the cancellation of several recruitment examinations before the High Court.

He warned that if the government failed to effectively present its case before the Jharkhand High Court on September 15, when the matters are scheduled for hearing, they would plan to gherao the Chief Minister’s residence.

Buoyed by its victory in West Bengal, the BJP is stepping up preparations for the Punjab Assembly election, with the party holding talks with the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) on a possible alliance.

According to sources, the BJP is expected to contest the election in alliance with the Akali Dal. One round of discussions has already taken place, while another round is expected soon. The next talks are likely to focus on seat-sharing and the constituencies that each party would contest.

BJP leaders believe an alliance could offer political gains to both parties and strengthen their cooperation. The party also believes a combined effort could improve its prospects in Punjab’s four-way electoral contest.

BJP and Akali Dal vote share

The BJP is drawing confidence from the 2024 Lok Sabha election, when it and the Akali Dal contested separately.

The BJP did not win any of Punjab’s 13 Lok Sabha seats but secured 18.56 per cent of the vote. The Akali Dal won one seat with a 13.42 per cent vote share. Together, the two parties accounted for approximately 32 per cent of the vote.

The BJP believes that adding further support to this combined base could pose a strong challenge to the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), which the party says is facing anti-incumbency.

The previous Punjab Assembly election presented a different picture. The Akali Dal won three of the state’s 117 seats with 18.38 per cent of the vote, while the BJP won two seats with a 6.60 per cent vote share.

The BJP’s vote share in the Lok Sabha election was therefore significantly higher than in the Assembly election, strengthening the argument within the party for contesting a larger number of seats if the alliance is finalised.

BJP sees strong position across Punjab

The BJP’s assessment is also based on its performance across Assembly segments during the Lok Sabha election.

The party led in 23 Assembly segments, while the Akali Dal was ahead in nine. The BJP finished second in around 17 segments, compared with 14 for the Akali Dal.

The BJP also lost five seats by margins of less than 5,000 votes and 10 seats by margins of less than 10,000 votes. The party therefore believes it has demonstrated a strong position on its own in 38 Assembly seats.

According to the assessment, contesting together could give the BJP and Akali Dal a stronger electoral position.

BJP, Akali Dal have history of alliance

The BJP and Akali Dal maintained an alliance from 1996 to 2020 and recorded several major victories together.

In the 1997 Assembly election, the Akali Dal won 75 seats and the BJP won 18, giving the alliance a landslide victory.

The alliance also won the 2007 election, with the Akali Dal securing 49 seats and the BJP winning 19. In 2012, the two parties created history by winning a second consecutive term, with the Akali Dal winning 56 seats and the BJP 12.

Against this backdrop, the proposed alliance is being viewed within the BJP as a potentially formidable combination.

BJP targets AAP government

The BJP is preparing to target the AAP government over allegations of corruption, governance failures and unfulfilled promises.

The party is also expected to highlight financial assistance and schemes provided to Punjab by the Centre under Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The BJP may present a comprehensive vision document focused on employment and economic growth, along with measures aimed at rebuilding Panthic and social trust.

The party has alleged that the AAP government, which came to power promising to fight corruption, has failed to deliver on that front.

According to the BJP, 144 government officials were arrested in corruption cases last year, while 43 Punjab Police personnel were caught in bribery traps. The party has also cited the dismissal of then Cabinet Minister Vijay Singla over corruption allegations and Vigilance Bureau raids involving MLA Raman Arora in connection with a corruption case.

The BJP has further alleged that the AAP’s senior leadership in Delhi controls the functioning of the Punjab government and extracts undue benefits from contractors.

BJP raises health and education concerns

The BJP has also accused the Punjab government of shortcomings in health, education and social justice.

According to figures cited by the BJP, Punjab’s primary-level dropout rate is 2.5 per cent, compared with a national average of 0.3 per cent.

The party has also highlighted health infrastructure figures, claiming that only 52.5 per cent of Punjab’s 3,699 health centres meet Indian Public Health Standards. It further claims that 4.3 per cent of district hospitals and 4.9 per cent of Community Health Centres meet prescribed national quality standards, while 15.7 per cent of Primary Health Centres meet the standards.

The BJP has also raised the issue of teacher vacancies in government schools while questioning the state’s education model.

The party has pointed to a promise to establish 16 medical colleges in Punjab and alleged that none has been set up.

BJP highlights central schemes in Punjab

Alongside its criticism of the state government, the BJP plans to highlight financial assistance provided by the Centre.

According to the BJP, Rs. 7,596.84 crore was provided under PM-KISAN to 18 lakh farmer beneficiaries.

It also said Rs. 8,144.11 crore was allocated for rural development and the generation of 8.14 lakh person-days of work under MGNREGA.

Under the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana, the BJP said Rs. 1,722.68 crore was provided for rural roads and 415 bridges. Another Rs. 359.56 crore was allocated for individual and community toilets under the Swachh Bharat Mission (Gramin).

The BJP also cited the Jal Jeevan Mission, under which 32 lakh households were provided tap water connections, and the Amrit Sarovar Mission, under which 816 water bodies were developed.

The party is also expected to highlight central support for railway and airport projects in Punjab.

BJP considers employment-focused promises

The BJP is considering several election promises as it prepares its campaign.

The party is weighing proposals aimed at moving Punjab’s economy away from what it describes as a freebies-based approach towards employment and wealth creation. Financial assistance for women and the establishment of medical colleges are among the proposals under consideration.

The broader strategy is to combine criticism of the AAP government with an alternative political model focused on Punjab’s economy, health, education and Panthic concerns.

Rahul Gandhi on Friday staged a protest outside the Parliament Street police station along with student protester Sahil Lochab, demanding registration of an FIR over alleged pellet gun injuries sustained during a student protest in Delhi.

The Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha had earlier sought accountability over allegations that pellet guns were used against students. He entered the police station with Lochab and refused to leave after police officials declined to register an FIR, according to the report.

Gandhi later sat on a dharna outside the police station with Lochab and his mother. Congress said the protest would continue until an FIR was filed. Priyanka Gandhi also joined the protest.

Rahul Gandhi shows pellets, cites medical reports

During the protest, Rahul Gandhi displayed a small box containing pellets and said they had been recovered from Lochab’s body.

Gandhi claimed that around 200 pellets were lodged in the student’s body and three were in his eye. He also showed medical reports from Lady Hardinge Medical College and AIIMS, saying they documented more than 200 pellets in Lochab’s body.

Gandhi alleged that Lochab was hit by a pellet gun while peacefully protesting at Jantar Mantar on July 20 and said the injury had put the vision in one of his eyes at risk.

“If police did not fire these pellets, then somebody must have fired them,” Gandhi said, while demanding that an FIR be registered to investigate what happened.

Delhi Police cites Supreme Court panel

The Delhi Police told Gandhi that the Supreme Court had constituted a High-Powered Expert Committee to examine allegations of excessive and disproportionate use of force by police and paramilitary forces during the student protests.

Gandhi, however, continued his protest and demanded registration of an FIR. He said he had been told by police officers that an FIR could not be registered because there were “orders from the top”.

The Delhi Police has denied allegations that pellet guns were used against student protesters. The Rapid Action Force, the riot-control wing of the CRPF, had been deployed at Jantar Mantar during the protests.

BJP attacks Rahul Gandhi over protest

Union Minister JP Nadda criticised Rahul Gandhi’s protest, calling it “cheap, attention-seeking politics”. He alleged that the Congress leader was using the issue to divert attention from the ongoing controversy surrounding the Vande Mataram row.

BJP MP Ravi Shankar Prasad also criticised the protest, alleging that Gandhi was engaging in the “politics of anarchy”. He said police had informed Gandhi that an FIR had already been registered regarding the incident and that the matter was being investigated.

Rahul Gandhi had earlier raised Sahil Lochab’s case

Rahul Gandhi had previously raised Sahil Lochab’s case in July, presenting the 19-year-old student before the media and alleging that he had been struck by a pellet gun during a march on Parliament on July 20.

The march was linked to the student agitation over the NEET paper leak and the demand for the resignation of then Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.

Gandhi had also written to Union Home Minister Amit Shah, seeking accountability over what he described as a “barbaric assault” on peacefully protesting students and asking whether the use of force, including pellet guns, had been authorised.