Ranchi, Aug. 11 -- The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Tuesday observed a statewide "Bandh" in Jharkhand protesting the alleged police brutality against student aspirants, a claim the ruling Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) has dismissed as "sheer desperation."

The BJP's call for a shutdown follows Monday's massive protest by JPSC and JSSC aspirants in Ranchi, which ended with a night of alleged police brutality and a heavy lathi charge between students and security forces near the Legislative Assembly.

Lashing out at the BJP's move, JMM leader Manoj Pandey denied reports of a lathi-charge or the use of extreme measures against the students.

"There was no lathi-charge. Only minimal force was used, strictly in self-defence, and there were n...