Jharkhand Police Lathi Charge On Protestors, Several Injured

The police on Monday baton charged agitating Panchayat secretariat volunteers near Raj Bhavan in Jharkhand capital Ranchi after the protestors allegedly threw stones at them resulting in injuries to a number of people. An officer said that at least five policemen were injured including two who needed hospitalization. The panchayat secretariat volunteers, on the other hand, claimed that about 40 of them were injured in the lathi charge. As many as 20 people have been detained by the police for interrogation.

“A process of registering an FIR in the case has been initiated,” said Ranchi Senior Superintendent of Police Kishor Kaushal. Thousands of Panchayat secretariat volunteers under the banner of State Level Panchayat Swayam Sevak Sangh (SLPSSS) congregated at Ranchi’s Morabadi Ground as part of their indefinite strike starting from Monday in support of their various demands including fixation of remuneration and regularization of their services.

As they marched towards the CM’s residence, they were stopped by the police near Raj Bhavan.“The agitators broke barricades and also pelted policemen with stones, injuring five personnel. Two of them were admitted to Ranchi Sadar Hospital. In a bid to disperse the crowd, the police resorted to mild lathi charge,” Kotwali DSP Prakash Soy told PTI. SLPSSS secretary Chandradeep Kumar claimed that about 40 volunteers were injured in the police lathi charge.

“They have been admitted in Ranchi’s RIMS, Sadar Hospital, Guru Nanak Hospital, and other private hospitals,” he said. Kumar said that around 18,000 panchayat secretariat volunteers had been hired in 2016 for various works including helping in the construction of housing under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana, toilets, making ration cards, and others in rural areas.

“The volunteers get certain incentives for every work. However, the current government has restricted the work given to panchayat secretariat volunteers. We have been trying to meet chief minister Hemant Soren for the past three years but he is not giving us time,” he said. Kumar added they decided to proceed on indefinite strike from Monday on various demands. “Our first demand is to meet the CM. We want a fixed remuneration and regularisation of our service,” he said.