Lathi-charge, tear gas and a sea of protesters: Jharkhand anger reaches Assembly

Protesters in Jharkhand faced a heavy police response as they marched to the Vidhan Sabha to voice their grievances about irregularities in government exams. The situation escalated when former Jharkhand Public Service Commission chairman L Khiangte was arrested as part of an ongoing investigation. Khiangte had been the head of the commission since February 2025 after retiring as the state’s chief secretary.

He resigned on July 22 following the Crime Investigation Department's takeover of the probe. The Jharkhand government announced it would cancel the preliminary examination of the 14th JPSC Combined Civil Services after discussions with two groups of protesters, but the demonstrators refused to back down. They demanded a Central Bureau of Investigation probe and the cancellation of the JSSC exam.

Among the protesters were ex-Chief Minister Babulal Marandi, Bharatiya Janata Party MP Aditya Sahu, and Devendra Nath Mahato, who was on a nine-day hunger strike. Police deployed water cannons, tear gas shells, and lathis against the demonstrators. Chief Minister Hemant Soren pledged to deliver justice and vowed to resolve the issue through dialogue.

The Opposition accused the ruling party of using a dictatorial approach, alleging that government officials prevented protesters from meeting with the CM at his residence. Protest leaders expressed frustration, stating that the government had failed to offer concrete action despite the ongoing demonstrations. If no government delegation met the protesters by the evening, they threatened to remain at the scene.