Jharkhand students reached the Assembly gates after breaching barricades and facing water cannons and tear gas during their protest over JPSC-JSSC exam irregularities.
The Soren government has cancelled three exams and the state CID has arrested former JPSC chairman L Khiangte, but protesters continue to demand a CBI probe.
Several rounds of talks have failed to resolve the standoff, while the BJP has staged a separate protest against the state government.
Protesters in Jharkhand have reached the gates of the state’s Legislative Assembly which was their declared goal. The students had been protesting for weeks against alleged malpractices in the JPSC abd JSSC recruitment exams.
The demonstrators breached barricades, faced water cannons and tear gas shells to reach their destination. The protests happened despite the government claiming that ‘98%’ of their demands had been met.
In response to the students’ demand the state government led by Hemant Soren cancelled three exams while the state CID also arrested the former JPSC chairperson L Khiangte in connection with the alleged irregularities.
The protesters were also joined by student leader Devendra Mahto who had been fasting in protest against the government.
BJP Protests
BJP leaders and workers had staged an alternate protest outside the residence of Chief Minister Soren. As part of the protests ex-CM and BJP leader Babulal Marandi was detained by Jharkhand Police.
Party leaders in Delhi also blamed the Congress for having double standards.
Speaking to reporters in Parliament House complex, BJP national general secretary Tarun Chugh said, “Those who were trying till the end to politically hijack the students’ movement in Delhi, who were restless, sometimes sitting in buses and sometimes taking out foot marches, where are those so-called leaders now?”
The Congress is part of the ruling alliance in the state alongside the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM).
Failed Talks
Before the protest march, multiple rounds of talks took place between the protesters and the government which did not result in any resolution.
According to media reports, in the sixth round of talks held yesterday, the students insisted on a CBI probe into the alleged malpractices in the exams which yielded no solution.
On cancellation of examinations, JMM MP Mahua Majhi said that it was not within the prerogative of the state government as the results were declared on the directions of the Supreme Court.
“The government cannot cancel it because its results were released following directions of the Supreme Court and High Court, and many young people have already got jobs. Cancelling it would make them unemployed and cause injustice to them and their families,” she told PTI.
Majhi also concluded that the small remaining demand of cancellation of exams does not warrant such a massive protest.
“For this small remaining demand, I do not think such a massive protest is warranted. Some political parties are allegedly telling them not to call off their agitation,” she added.
