BJYM's rally: Workers break barricades; police use tear gas shells, water cannons

Ranchi: The Jharkhand Police on Friday lobbed tear gas shells and used water cannons to disperse Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM) workers who broke barricades during a protest rally here against the "injustice" meted out by the Hemant Soren government and its "failure to fulfil election promises".

The protesters, gathered in the rally, tried to march towards Chief Minister Hemant Soren's residence, which is located near the Morabadi Ground, the venue of the protest programme, and the police baton-charged them.

BJP leaders claimed several workers were injured during the baton charge by the police with party leader Amar Kumar Bauri claiming that the "time has come to wipe out the JMM-led coalition from the state".

“No one can stop us,” he said.

The district administration enforced Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023 (BNSS), which replaced Section 144 of the CrPC, within a 500-metre radius of the Morabadi Ground, excluding the premises.

The prohibitory orders banned public meetings, rallies, dharnas, demonstrations and gatherings of five or more people within this perimeter from 11 am to 11 pm on Friday.

Additionally, carrying arms, ammunition, explosives and traditional weapons such as lathis, spears, bows and arrows is prohibited and using loudspeakers is barred in the area, an official release said.

A police official said BYJM workers violated the prohibitory orders.

Ranchi Senior Superintendent of Police Chandan Kumar Sinha said, "Permission has not been sought for the rally, it was sought for 'sammelan' or meeting, which has been granted. Beyond the periphery of Morabadi Ground, we have promulgated prohibitory orders so no rally is allowed. We have made sufficient deployment. We have also appealed to the organisers to limit the programme to meeting only."

Another police official said, "We have erected barricades near the chief minister's house and Morabadi Ground to prevent any untoward incident." The police personnel baton-charged the protesters to prevent them from going towards the CM's house, he said.

Workers of the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha gathered in the Morabadi Ground where leaders of the BJP were scheduled to address the ‘Yuva Aakrosh Rally".

A scuffle broke out between police personnel and BYJM and BJP workers led by party leader CP Singh during the rally.

The BJP termed the imposition of prohibitory orders as an attempt to "stifle voices" of Bharatiya BJYM workers against the "injustice" meted out by the Hemant Soren government and claimed that hardly two months are left before the government would be shown the exit door in the assembly elections.

Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan attacked the JMM government, alleging that it was attempting to "stifle the voices of workers", which would prove to be "the last nail in its ( the JMM government's) coffin".

The order noted concerns that some organisations or parties are planning to hold dharnas, demonstrations and rallies and there is a possibility that protesters may gherao the chief minister’s residence.

"Such activities may cause disruption in government work, traffic movement may get affected, law and order situation may arise and public places may witness disturbances. Therefore prohibitory orders have been imposed," the order said.

Chouhan attacked the JMM-led government, alleging that it was preventing BJYM workers from reaching Ranchi from various districts as many buses were seized.

He alleged that the BJP workers throughout the night were made to deboard the buses in which they were coming to Ranchi from various districts.

"Barbed wire fencing has been erected around Morabadi Ground...Even the arrogance of Ravana did not last long and if you think that you can suppress voices through force, you will not succeed," Chouhan said.

"Only a frightened CM (Hemant Soren) could resort to such practices. He is neither able to run the government nor his party. The Hemant Soren regime's contribution to the state is 7,812 murders, 7,115 rapes, 6,937 kidnappings, 8,792 riots, 2,721 loots, 485 dacoities and 2,73,261 other crimes.

"Infiltrators are grabbing tribal land, there is open loot everywhere. When BJYM workers asked about poll promises like 5 lakh jobs, efforts are on to stifle their voices," he alleged.

Chouhan claimed that days were numbered for the present JMM-led regime and said, "When former prime minister Indira Gandhi could not stop our voices, how can you stifle our voices".

Union Minister Sanjay Seth alleged that the Hemant Soren government was "scared of the BJP as it failed to fulfil the promises made to the youth".

Rajya Sabha MP and former BJP state president Deepak Prakash said the people have given a clarion call to "vacate the throne".

"The message is clear for Hemant Soren that 'sinhasan khali karo, janta aati hai", he added.

BJP state president Babulal Marandi said they had sought permission for the programme.

"The police are acting as a JMM worker in a bid to prevent our activists from reaching here. Democracy gives us the right to rally," Marandi said.

BJP's youth wing members planned the rally to protest against the Hemant Soren-led government for allegedly failing to fulfil promises made during the last assembly elections.

Backed by BJP, a significant turnout of BJYM workers was seen in Ranchi during the day and they planned to march towards Soren’s residence to seek answers to queries related to jobs, unemployment allowances and other issues highlighted during the 2019 assembly election campaign, a party office-bearer said.