Jharkhand government urges special police officers to end stir; BJP slams CM for lathi charge on protestors

Ranchi: The Jharkhand government on Friday appealed to the protesting contractual police assistants to end their ongoing agitation, promising an extension of their services by a year.

The assistants are demanding direct recruitment into the police department along with an increase in their honorarium.

The BJP slammed the Hemant Soren government over the lathi charge on the agitators.

Senior police and administrative officers held a meeting with a delegation of the agitating special police officers (SPOs) during the day.

"We have assured the delegation that they will receive relaxations in various police department appointments. Specifically, they will be granted age relaxation and other concessions when applying for constable positions in excise, home guard, jail sipahi, and fire services," Raj Kumar Mallick, Additional Director General at police headquarters, told reporters.

The agitating SPOs who were camping near the CM’s residence to press for their demands went to Morabadi ground later. They were holding demonstrations in the ground for around one week.

Ranchi SSP Chandan Kumar Sinha and senior officials are urging the agitators to end their stir.

According to eyewitnesses, police resorted to mild lathi charge to control the agitators near the CM’s residence.

Earlier, Principal Secretary (Home) Vandana Dadel and DGP Ajay Kumar Singh held talks with a delegation of agitating SPOs urging them to end their agitation.

Mallick clarified that while direct induction into the police force is not feasible, special provisions such as age relaxation will be provided to allow them to compete fairly with other candidates.

"They were informed that recruitments for another 6,500 posts in the police department would be held soon and they are eligible to appear for it. Besides, we assured them to extend their tenure, which comes to an end on August 9, by one year if they end their agitation," he said.

He added, "We have assured them to raise their honorarium by 25 per cent, contingent upon their disciplined conduct during the agitation and prompt return to their duties."

Ranchi Deputy Commissioner Rahul Kumar Sinha also urged the SPOs to call off their agitation saying that the government has agreed to most of their demands including a hike in honorarium and giving relaxations in further appointments in excise forest and police departments.

He said the administration has made all arrangements to control any untoward activity including deployment of magistrates and police personnel besides taking other measures.

Meanwhile, the opposition BJP has condemned the lathi charge "by the JMM-Congress government on the assistant policemen who were protesting for the last 17 days in Ranchi demanding permanent employment".

Union minister and BJP election in-charge for Jharkhand, Shivraj Singh Chouhan, attacked the JMM-led dispensation in the state alleging that every section of Jharkhand was suffering under it.

"(Chief Minister) Hemant Soren Ji, you did not do the right thing by ordering the lathi charge. These are poor sons and daughters of Jharkhand who are demanding their rights from you. Jharkhand will not forget this atrocity of yours. Soren Babu, your government has just a few more days left," Chouhan posted on X.

BJP leader Laxmikant Bajpai also condemned lath icharge saying the Jharkhand government was unable to deliver the promises it made and BJP is confident of its good show in the state elections, given it was ahead in 52 assembly seats during the Lok Sabha elections.

The assembly elections are due in the state later this year.

BJP state president took to X saying: "Every blow on the body of the assistant policemen will act as a nail in the coffin of the coalition government." Marandi, a former chief minster, alleged: "When he (CM) was not satisfied with the blood and tears of the policemen, the tents erected on Morabadi ground were uprooted. Pregnant women (SOPs) and children (of agitators) were not spared, they were also dragged and beaten."