Ranchi : Jharkhand student leader Devendra Nath Mahto on Sunday alleged severe police high-handedness and manhandling during Independence Day celebrations. Mahto, who has been at the forefront of state youth agitation demanding employment reforms and recruitment transparency, stated that security forces prevented him from participating in peaceful patriotic observances, including a planned Tricolour March (Tiranga Yatra).
According to Mahto, police personnel forcibly stopped him while attempting to leave Ranchi's Sadar Hospital to participate in a Tiranga Yatra organised by student protesters on the occasion of India's 80th Independence Day.
In a post on X, Mahto alleged that despite being under treatment at the hospital, he was stopped and pushed around and that some of his companions were also beaten. He said he was prevented from participating in the flag-hoisting programme and the Tiranga March.
"Even on Independence Day today, despite being under treatment in the hospital, I was forcibly stopped and shoved around, and my companions were also beaten up," Mahto said. Mahto questioned whether the freedom for which India's freedom fighters struggled also included the right of citizens to peacefully raise their voices and participate in public programmes. "The question today is--is this the very freedom for which Bhagat Singh, Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, Khudiram Bose, Mahatma Gandhi, and Baba Saheb Dr. Bhimrao Ambedkar struggled?" he said.
He further asked whether people had been deprived of the freedom to raise their voices for their rights and participate in a peaceful Tricolour March. "Has even the freedom to raise our voice for our rights and participate in a peaceful Tricolour March been taken away?" Mahto said, describing the day as "extremely painful". The incident took place against the backdrop of an ongoing student agitation in Ranchi over alleged irregularities in recruitment examinations conducted by the Jharkhand Public Service Commission (JPSC) and the Jharkhand Staff Selection Commission (JSSC).
Thousands of students and job aspirants have been participating in the agitation, with the protest centred around Jaipal Singh Munda Stadium in Ranchi. Protesters have been demanding greater transparency in recruitment examinations, cancellation of examinations they allege were compromised and an independent probe into the alleged irregularities. Some protesters have sought a CBI investigation or an inquiry by a panel of retired judges from outside Jharkhand.
The agitation intensified earlier this month when students marched towards the Jharkhand Assembly. The protest turned tense, with police using lathicharge, tear gas and water cannons to disperse demonstrators. Reports said several police personnel were also injured during the confrontation. Following the incident, Mahto, who had been on an indefinite hunger strike, was admitted to Ranchi's Sadar Hospital.
Mahto had begun his indefinite hunger strike on August 2 and was on its 14th day when he attempted to participate in the Independence Day Tiranga Yatra. His health had become a concern amid the prolonged fast, with reports stating that he had been admitted to hospital following the earlier confrontation between protesters and police.
On Independence Day, protesting students nevertheless organised a Tiranga Yatra from Jaipal Singh Munda Stadium towards Albert Ekka Chowk. Participants carried the national flag and raised patriotic slogans including "Bharat Mata Ki Jai" and "Vande Mataram". The march marked the 22nd day of the wider student agitation.
Visuals from Sadar Hospital also showed a confrontation between Mahto and police personnel as he attempted to leave the hospital. In the footage reported by multiple news organisations, Mahto was seen carrying the Tricolour and wearing Tricolour-themed attire while police personnel prevented him from leaving the premises.
Mahto's allegations have triggered a political debate over the action taken against him on Independence Day. While his supporters have questioned why he was prevented from joining a peaceful national celebration, others have pointed to his medical condition and the need to prioritise his health. Jharkhand Congress leader Kumar Raja defended the decision to stop Mahto from leaving the hospital, arguing that his health should take priority over political considerations.
The ongoing student movement has also drawn political attention as protesters continue to demand accountability and reforms in the state's recruitment system. Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren has said the government is working to ensure transparency in examinations and has initiated a programme titled 'Chhatron Ki Baat - Chhatron Ke Sath' to gather suggestions and concerns from students.
For Mahto, however, the Independence Day incident has become an extension of the larger agitation. In his social media post, he linked the right to protest peacefully with the ideals of India's freedom struggle and said he was deeply hurt at being prevented from participating in the Tiranga Yatra.
The allegations made by Mahto regarding being pushed and his companions being beaten could not be independently verified. The police's version of the specific incident at the hospital was not immediately available.