Ranchi, Aug 7 (IANS): Chaos erupted during a student march in Jharkhand on Friday when a youth threw black ink at All India Students' Association (AISA) President Neha Bora.
The accused was subsequently taken into police custody.
The students were taking out a march over alleged irregularities in the JPSC and the JSSC examinations, including paper leaks, and demanding reforms in the education system. Thousands of students carrying the national flag and placards had gathered near Ranchi’s Birsa Chowk as part of the demonstration.
According to eyewitnesses, a youth present in the crowd suddenly threw black ink at Neha Bora while shouting "Jai Shri Ram" slogans.
The incident triggered commotion at the protest site, with demonstrators raising slogans and protesting the attack. Police personnel deployed at the venue acted swiftly and detained the youth.
During preliminary questioning, the detained youth reportedly told the police that he considered Bora "anti-national" and a supporter of 2020 Delhi riots accused Umar Khalid, and that this motivated his action.
AISA leaders, however, alleged that individuals associated with the RSS and the BJP were behind the attack.
Meanwhile, some local aspirants participating in the agitation said they did not want any outside organisation or political party to hijack what they described as an independent student movement, fearing that the core issues concerning examination reforms could be sidelined.
Soon after the incident, Neha Bora shared photographs of herself stained with ink on social media and said she wore the ink "with pride".
She asserted that such acts would neither weaken her resolve nor deter the broader struggle for students' rights.
Bora said she had previously faced police action and participated in numerous protests, and therefore such attempts at intimidation would not affect the movement.
Following the incident, security arrangements were tightened in and around the Assembly area and adjoining routes as a precautionary measure.
Police officials are interrogating the accused and have launched a detailed investigation into the matter.
Protesters, meanwhile, remain firm on their demands regarding alleged irregularities in recruitment examinations and systemic reforms.
—
This report was published from a syndicated wire feed. Apart from the headline, the EdexLive Desk has not edited the copy.