Student Leader Posts Videos Detailing Scuffle With Security Personnel
Key Points:
- Devendra Nath Mahto claims he was stopped from attending flag hoisting at Jaipal Singh Munda Stadium
- Student leader alleges scuffle with police while on 14-day hunger strike
- Journalist Shiv Aroor reshares video amid ongoing Jharkhand student agitation
RANCHI – Student leader Devendra Nath Mahto has posted a series of messages and videos on X.com alleging that he was barred from taking part in the Tricolour March held at the protest site. He said he had expressed a desire to join the flag hoisting at Jaipal Singh Munda Stadium before a heavy police presence was deployed outside his hospital room.
In his posts, Mahto raised several allegations against the government and the authorities. He questioned why a protester on a hunger strike for 14 days had been stopped from hoisting the flag on the occasion of the 79th Independence Day.
Mahto said he had an argument with the civil surgeon over attending the programme. He said he told fellow protesters to stay firm and reach the stadium despite the circumstances.
He said he sustained a chest injury during a scuffle while being stopped by police from proceeding to hoist the flag. Mahto said his treatment and medical examination were ongoing following the incident.
According to his posts, he has remained on a hunger strike for 14 days. He alleged that police attempted to forcefully push him and his companions on the day, and that his companions were also assaulted during the confrontation.
Mahto said he ultimately sat down outside his hospital room’s gate after being repeatedly pushed by police. He said he would continue sitting there and refuse treatment until he was allowed to leave the premises.
He described his protest as a fight for rights, without elaborating further in the posts reviewed. Journalist Shiv Aroor also shared the video on the matter, amplifying Mahto’s account to a wider audience.
The posts come as the student agitation in Jharkhand continues into its fourth week. Mahto had earlier observed a fast in support of the students’ demands over JPSC and JSSC recruitment matters.
The government had earlier held rounds of talks with agitating students, with one round described as inconclusive even as officials claimed most demands had been accepted. Three JPSC members had also resigned amid a CID probe into exam irregularities.
Mahto had earlier been reported critical and on oxygen support in Ranchi during the course of the agitation. He had also issued a message from his hospital bed saying his resolve remained unshaken.
The protest has entered its 21st day, with Mahto appealing to the government to save the soul of the state. Security had earlier been tightened as students prepared to lay siege to the chief minister’s residence, according to reports on the 20th day of the stir.
Devendra Mahto’s X.com handle and posts can be accessed here: https://x.com/DevendraNathMa9
