12:00
The protest by students over alleged irregularities in Jharkhand recruitment exams entered its 18th day on Tuesday, with the BJP observing a state-wide bandh, while ABVP announced that it would organise a march to the state assembly during the day.
The saffron party called the bandh from 8 am to midnight to protest against the police action on demonstrators during their march to Vidhan Sabha on Monday.
The students and job aspirants have been agitating since July 25, demanding transparency in recruitment examinations, reforms in the functioning of the Jharkhand Public Service Commission (JPSC) and Jharkhand Staff Selection Commission(JSSC), cancellation of several examinations and an independent investigation by the CBI or a panel of retired high court judges from outside the state.
Six demonstrators have also been observing an indefinite hunger strike to press their demands, with two of them hospitalised.
The sixth round of talks between the Jharkhand government and the protesting students under the JPSC-JSSC Manch failed to reach any breakthrough on Sunday, with both sides accusing each other of not being serious about resolving the matter.
While the government panel said it was unfortunate that the students did not lift the agitation despite the authorities conceding to "98 per cent of their demands", the other side insisted that the claim was not true, and stuck to their demands.
Members of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), which strongly condemned the alleged police atrocities on students on Monday, will take out a 'Vidhan Sabha March' during the day.
They will hold the procession from the old Vidhan Sabha to the new assembly premises. -- PTI
