Ranchi: A student protester in a Spider-Man mask became one of the talking points of the ongoing agitation by JPSC and JSSC aspirants in Jharkhand, as students marched towards the state Assembly on Monday demanding action over alleged irregularities in recruitment examinations.
The masked student said he chose the superhero look because, as a member of Gen-Z, he wanted to protest in a different way. His remarks, made during the protest, have since drawn attention on social media.
“Since we are Gen-Z, our way of protesting is a little different. That is why I have come here dressed as Spider-Man,” the student said.
He then took a dig at the government, saying that the voice of students may not be reaching the authorities properly.
“Perhaps our voice is not reaching the government properly. The voice of students here is not reaching properly. So, perhaps with the hope that the Spider-Man’s voice reaches the government, I have come here,” he said.
The student also stressed that the protesters intended to keep the agitation peaceful.
“We have protested peacefully so far. Here too, we will make every effort to continue peacefully and get our demands fulfilled,” he said.
Students breach barricades during assembly march
The Spider-Man protester was part of a larger demonstration in Ranchi, where JPSC and JSSC aspirants marched towards the Jharkhand Assembly as part of their ‘Vidhan Sabha gherao’ programme.
The situation intensified when protesters breached multiple police barricades put up along the route. Heavy security had been deployed in the area to prevent the demonstrators from reaching the high-security Assembly premises.
Visuals from the protest showed students climbing over barricades and pushing forward as the march gained momentum. Police used water cannons to disperse the protesters, but the action did not immediately stop the demonstrators from moving closer to the Assembly.
The students are demanding action over alleged irregularities in recruitment examinations conducted by the Jharkhand Public Service Commission (JPSC) and Jharkhand Staff Selection Commission (JSSC).
Former JPSC Chief arrested
The protest came on the same day that the Jharkhand CID arrested former JPSC chairperson L Khiangte in connection with alleged irregularities in recruitment examinations.
According to a senior state probe agency official, Khiangte was arrested by the CID on Monday. Manoj Kaushik, Additional Director General of CID, confirmed the development.
“We have arrested former JPSC chairperson L Khiangte in connection with irregularities in recruitment examinations,” Kaushik told PTI.
Khiangte had been appointed JPSC chairperson in February last year after retiring as Jharkhand's chief secretary. He resigned from the post on July 22.
