Jharkhand BJP to Police Commissioner Gherao offices from September 8

Jharkhand BJP president Aditya Sahu addresses a press conference at the BJP party office in Ranchi on September 4, 2026. | Photo credit: ANI

The opposition in Jharkhand, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), on Friday (September 4, 2026) announced that it will launch a gherao (siege) of Superintendent of Police (SP) and Deputy Commissioner (DC) offices in all 24 districts from September 8 after the 48-hour withdrawal of police cases against protesting Jharkhand students ended.

On 2 September, a BJP delegation led by Jharkhand BJP State President Aditya Sahu and Leader of Opposition in the State Assembly Babulal Marandi met Chief Secretary Avinash Kumar and submitted a memorandum for immediate withdrawal of cases filed against students across the state during protests over alleged irregularities in several examinations conducted by the Jharkhand Public Service Commission (JSS Selection Commission) and the Staff Selection Commission (JPSharkhand). The BJP has also demanded a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe.

Protests for four days

Mr. Sahu announced the gherao phased protest during a press conference held at the party’s state office in Ranchi.

“The 48-hour ultimatum given to the state government by a high-level BJP delegation is now over. BJP workers will now raise the voice of students by organizing protests and gherao DC and SP offices in all 24 districts for four consecutive days. The gherao program will be conducted every day in six districts,” Mr. Sahu said firmly with the students.

As per the schedule, protests will be held in Ranchi, Dumka, Hazaribagh, Giridih, Jamshedpur and Garhwa on September 8. September 9 in Koderma, Sahibganj, Bokaro, Palamu, Simdega and Chaibasa. On September 10, protests will be held in Seraikele, Pakur, Dhanbad, Gumla, Latehar and Chatra and on September 11 in Ramgarh, Deoghar, Lohardaga, Khunti, Godda and Jamtara.

Mr. Sahu claimed that neither in undivided Bihar nor since the formation of Jharkhand has anyone witnessed such treatment of students.

“Cases have been registered against students who protested peacefully and democratically. Students holding peaceful protests in various districts were beaten with sticks and batons by Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) workers, yet cases were filed against the students. The public wants to know why no cases were registered against JMM workers who engaged in hooliganism and assaulted Mr. Sahu’s students.”

He compared the student protests in Jharkhand to other protests in the country, including Delhi. The BJP leader claimed that Jharkhand’s students have set an exemplary standard. “During the protests in Delhi, abusive language was used against the Prime Minister and his late mother. But not a single student in Jharkhand used abusive language against anyone; despite this, cases were registered against 1,000 students,” Sahu said.

Mr. Sahu alleged that the Congress-JMM government was involved in job selling and that the government was worried that its job selling scam might be exposed to the public; so he uses various tactics to quell student protests.

He also alleged that the government is treating students like criminals and instead of taking action against coal, sand and stone mafias, the police are arresting students.

Published – 04 Sep 2026 21:23 IST