Police used water cannons to disperse student protesters in Ranchi on Monday as they attempted to march towards the Jharkhand Vidhan Sabha over alleged irregularities in recruitment examinations. The protesters, however, responded to the water jets by cheering and dancing, with videos from the demonstration showing several students continuing their protest despite the police action.

The demonstration was organised by the JPSC-JSSC Reform Morcha as part of its ongoing agitation over alleged irregularities in examinations and recruitment conducted by the Jharkhand Public Service Commission (JPSC) and the Jharkhand Staff Selection Commission (JSSC). Students gathered at Jaipal Singh Munda Stadium before beginning the Vidhan Sabha Gherao march towards the Assembly.

As the protesters approached the Assembly, police deployed barricades to prevent them from advancing further. Water cannons were subsequently used after some demonstrators attempted to push through the barricades. Despite the action, some students were seen dancing under the water jets, while one protester climbed onto a police barricade and continued dancing as the dispersal operation was underway.

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The agitation has entered its 17th day, with students demanding the cancellation of certain recruitment examinations and a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into the alleged irregularities. Protest leader Devendra Nath Mahto, who has been on a hunger strike, travelled towards the Assembly in an ambulance during the march and was later seen being carried on a stretcher by supporters.

The protest also coincided with demonstrations by BJP leaders outside Chief Minister Hemant Soren's residence. Several BJP leaders, including former Jharkhand Chief Minister Babulal Marandi and state BJP president Aditya Sahu, were detained during the demonstration. Heavy police deployment was reported across Ranchi as authorities sought to manage the separate protests.

The unusual scenes of protesters dancing while water cannons were being used also recalled a recent demonstration by the Cockroach Janta Party in Patna, Bihar, where protesters similarly reacted to police dispersal measures with dancing and other light-hearted gestures. The Ranchi protest, meanwhile, remains focused on the students' demands concerning JPSC and JSSC examinations and recruitment procedures.

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