A video of Jharkhand police lashing class 10 and 12 class women students has gone viral on social media. The incident is from August 06 when the students had gathered to protest before State Minister Banna Gupta over dissatisfaction with board results. The police as seen in the viral video had ordered a lathi charge to disperse the students.
https://twitter.com/iAnkurSingh/status/1424796779275440132?ref_src=twsrc%5EtfwReportedly, the students were unhappy over the board examination results declared by the Jharkhand Academic Council and were demanding reconsideration over the results. The girls allegedly entered the hall where Gupta was chairing a meeting to register their protest.
State Education Minister Jagarnath Mahto in an interview with the ANI said, “There’s a well-established procedure for reassessment. If any unsuccessful student wants to pass the exam, he/ she should approach the grievance cell.”
https://twitter.com/ANI/status/1424786119938363398?ref_src=twsrc%5EtfwThe video has attracted severe criticism on social media with many objecting to the brute force used by the police on the young girls. The BJP unit of Jharkhand too has demanded strong action from the state government.
“The oppressive government of Jharkhand wants to suppress the voice of the people, yesterday’s lathi charge on girl students in Dhanbad is a shameful act. The public will answer them soon,” said BJP in a series of Tweets on the incident.
Two girls fainted, four more injured
While two girls fainted after the lathi charge, as many as six of them sustained injuries. BJP state president from Ranchi Deepak Prakash condemned the lathi charge on the students. “The students are having tough times for two years now because of the pandemic. Instead of being compassionate, the government is letting its police take action against them. is shameful,” Prakash said.