Seven injured as police baton-charge protesting students
By IANSTuesday, June 29, 2010
RANCHI - Seven activists of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) were injured Tuesday as police used force to disperse protesters outside the Jharkhand Governor’s house. Five activists were detained for breaching the barricades, police said.
Hundreds of ABVP workers gathered near Governor House to protest the ongoing strike of the non-teaching staff of various universities - affecting examinations and studies - and demanding that the government take steps to end the strike.
Police conducted a baton-charge and used water cannons to disperse the ABVP workers as some of them attempted to breach the barricades.
“It was a peaceful protest and the police unnecessarily used lathis and water cannons to disperse us. We will observe Wednesday as a black day against the lathi charge. Many of our workers have been injured in the lathi charge,” senior ABVP leader Suman Kumar told reporters.
In Jharkhand, the non-teaching staffs are on strike for last nearly three months demanding hike in their salaries as per the recommendations of the Sixth Pay Commission. The graduation examination of Ranchi University, scheduled to begin from July 1, has been postponed due to the strike.
Several rounds of talks have taken place between the government and the striking employees but no solution is yet in sight.
