Jharkhand Students Protest Against Recruitment Exam Irregularities, Demand CM's Resignation

Students protesting against alleged irregularities in Jharkhand's recruitment examinations on Saturday accused the ruling Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) and the Congress of playing politics with their issues, and announced they would gherao Chief Minister Hemant Soren's residence in Ranchi on August 20, demanding his resignation. The protesters said they would also burn effigies of the chief minister and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi across all 24 districts of the state on Sunday, alleging that the ruling JMM-Congress alliance had "failed to take concrete action" on their demands. They also demanded that Gandhi withdraw support from the JMM-led coalition if the "CM is not listening" to him. The protesters took out a 'Tiranga Yatra' in Ranchi on Saturday to mark the country's 80th Independence Day and to press their demand for greater transparency and reform of the recruitment examination system. The protest under the JPSC-JSSC Reforms Manch entered its 22nd day, with thousands of students and job aspirants, including two wheelchair-bound demonstrators on fast, taking part in the 'Tiranga Yatra' from Jaipal Singh Munda Stadium — the site of the ongoing agitation — to Albert Ekka Chowk in Ranchi. Carrying national flags, the protesters raised slogans such as "Bharat Mata Ki Jai" and "Vande Mataram". "We will gherao the chief minister's residence on August 20. We seek his resignation as both the JMM and the Congress are playing politics with us. We also demand that Rahul Gandhi withdraw support from the JMM-led coalition if the CM is not listening to him," JPSC-JSSC Reforms Manch leader Ravindra Paswan said. The protesters said they would not withdraw the demonstration until the government addressed their demands, including cancellation of examinations in which alleged irregularities were found, and an independent probe into the recruitment process. The students' platform has sought a CBI investigation, or an inquiry by a panel of retired judges from outside Jharkhand, into the alleged exam irregularities. It has also demanded the cancellation of the JSSC-CGL test and certain Jharkhand PSC examinations it considers suspicious.