Devendra Nath Mahto (R), leader of the Jharkhand Loktantrik Krantikari Morcha, has been on a hunger strike for the past 14 days over the alleged irregularities.A rally to mark Independence Day turned contentious on Saturday when Jharkhand Police allegedly stopped JPSC-JSSC protester Devendra Nath Mahto from participating in a Tiranga Yatra. At the same time, Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren in his Independence Day address said the hard work of Jharkhand Public Service Commission aspirants “won’t be left at the mercy of any mafia, corrupt system, or irregularity”.Jharkhand Governor Santosh Kumar Gangwar also termed recruitment exam malpractices “unacceptable”, saying fairness in education and competitive tests was linked to students’ trust and future.VIDEO | Ranchi: Addressing at 80th Independence Day event, Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren (@HemantSorenJMM) says, “Freedom does not mean merely political independence. Freedom means that every child receives a good education, every young person gets an opportunity for dignified… pic.twitter.com/xSU3i0dKBB— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) August 15, 2026CM Soren said the appointment process through the JPSC-JSSC would be expedited to boost young people’s confidence in the government.His remarks came as students protesting alleged irregularities in Jharkhand’s recruitment examinations took out a ‘Tiranga Yatra’ in Ranchi on the 22nd day of their agitation to mark India’s 80th Independence Day.Also read | Jharkhand’s protesting youth are tired of ‘timepass’ and sittingThe march was organised from the protest site at Jaipal Singh Munda Stadium to Albert Ekka Chowk, with thousands of job aspirants and others participating with the Tricolour in their hands and raising patriotic slogans such as ‘Bharat Mata Ki Jai’ and ‘Vande Mataram’.Devendra Nath Mahto, leader of the Jharkhand Loktantrik Krantikari Morcha, has been on a hunger strike for the past 14 days over the alleged irregularities. Posting a video of policement purportedly stopping him from joining the Tiranga Yatra, he claimed that police did not allow him to leave Sadar Hospital and join the rally.14 दिनों से भूख हड़ताल पर बैठे मेरे साथ आज पुलिस द्वारा धक्का-मुक्की और बलपूर्वक रोकने की कोशिश की गई। मेरे साथ मौजूद साथियों के साथ भी पुलिस द्वारा मारपीट की गई।कई दिनों से भूखा होने के बावजूद मैं अपने अधिकार और जनता की आवाज़ के लिए खड़ा हूँ। हमें इस तरह रोककर हमारी आवाज़ को… pic.twitter.com/TRxMaMkBqR— Devendra Nath Mahto (@DevendraNathMa9) August 15, 2026The protesters, under the JPSC-JSSC Reforms Manch banner, have been demanding greater transparency in recruitment examinations, cancellation of several tests and an independent probe by the CBI or a panel of retired judges from outside Jharkhand into the alleged irregularities.Also read | The other Jharkhand story: They fought odds, cleared prelims, but exam got cancelledSoren also said, “Freedom does not mean merely political independence. Freedom means that every child receives a good education, every young person gets an opportunity for dignified employment, every farmer prospers, and every woman becomes self-reliant.”“It means that every person from Jharkhand moves forward with pride in their language, culture and traditions, and that everyone has the right to live with equal opportunities, equal dignity and justice.”