Jharkhand protest leader Devendra Nath Mahato, who has been on an indefinite hunger strike over alleged irregularities in JPSC-JSSC exams, on Saturday claimed he was not allowed to leave Ranchi’s Sadar Hospital on Independence Day to attend the flag-hoisting ceremony at the protest site. He also alleged that he had been kept under police watch at the hospital for the past four days.
Earlier in the day, a video had surfaced showing Mahato, Tricolour in hand, attempting to get out of his hospital room as a few personnel try to stop him.
Mahato, who has been on a hunger strike for the last two weeks, told The Indian Express that he had sought permission from the authorities to attend the Independence Day programme with the protesting students but was not allowed to leave the hospital. He alleged that police deployment outside his room was increased from the night of August 14 and that he was stopped when he sought to leave on Saturday.
The administration, however, said Mahato had not been detained, adding he was not being prevented from leaving for any reason other than his medical condition. A senior official said Mahato was undergoing treatment and that he needed to prioritise his health before being allowed to leave the hospital.
Mahato had written to the civil surgeon and the in-charge medical officer of Sadar Hospital on August 12, seeking permission to go to the protest site. In the letter, Mahato said his indefinite hunger strike had completed many days and that he wanted to continue the “just struggle” against alleged corruption in Jharkhand Public Service Commission-Jharkhand Staff Selection Commission (JPSC-JSSC) recruitment.
He said he had been brought to Sadar Hospital by ambulance after being injured in the police action during the protesters’ march towards the Jharkhand Assembly on August 10. “Thousands of students and youths of Jharkhand are standing with me in this struggle for their future, rights and justice,” Mahato wrote in the application. He said being away from the protesters at the Jaipal Singh Munda Stadium was causing him greater mental distress than his physical discomfort.
“My body is under treatment in the hospital, but my resolve and commitment are with the students who are fighting for their future,” he said, requesting permission to go to the protest site. He also said he would follow all necessary instructions and precautions given by the doctors.
According to Mahato’s associate, an application had also been submitted to the authorities seeking administrative permission for him to attend the Independence Day flag-hoisting ceremony. However, permission was not granted.
He claimed that Mahato had offered to take responsibility for his own health while leaving the hospital, but was still not allowed to go. “We have recorded a video where Mahato is seen being pushed back by the police and forcibly stopped,” he said.
A police official posted at the hospital said Mahato was stopped due to his deteriorating health condition. “No one has detained him. It is his health due to which he is not being allowed to go anywhere,” the official added. Since July 25, students have been protesting at the Jaipal Singh Munda Stadium in the state capital, demanding action over alleged irregularities in JPSC and JSSC examinations. The state government has announced the cancellation of JPSC 14th, including backlog of 2023 and 2025 examinations, and ordered probes into alleged irregularities. For their part, the protesters have continued to demand accountability and CBI involvement in the probe. Meanwhile, the protesting students carried out a Tiranga rally around the stadium on Saturday.
