Student protesters in Jharkhand have announced plans to intensify their agitation over alleged irregularities in recruitment examinations, with effigies of Chief Minister Hemant Soren and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi set to be burnt across all 24 district headquarters on Sunday.
The protesters have also announced a gherao of the Chief Minister's residence on August 20 if their demands are not addressed, marking a fresh escalation in the weeks-long agitation over the Jharkhand Public Service Commission (JPSC) and Jharkhand Staff Selection Commission (JSSC) examinations.
Addressing a press conference in Ranchi on Saturday, student leader Piyush Kumar demanded cancellation of the JSSC Combined Graduate Level examination and the JPSC 11th to 13th examinations.
The protesters are also demanding a CBI investigation into the alleged irregularities and have called for Soren's resignation if their demands are not met.
Kumar said the protesters would begin burning effigies at district headquarters from Sunday and indicated that the agitation would move beyond the "Gandhian way" followed so far.
Student leader Ravinder Paswan said the protesters would burn effigies of both Soren and Gandhi across the state's 24 districts.
Explaining why Gandhi had been included in the protest, Paswan claimed the Congress leader had spoken to the students over an audio call and expressed support for them. The protesters questioned the Congress's continued support for the Soren government despite their grievances.
The student leaders have given the state government until August 18 to address their demands, failing which they plan to march towards and gherao the Chief Minister's residence on August 20.
Kumar described the August 10 Vidhan Sabha gherao as only a "preview" of the agitation and said students and youths would surround the Chief Minister's residence if their concerns remained unresolved.
The agitation over alleged recruitment examination irregularities has been underway since July 25 and witnessed a major confrontation in Ranchi on August 10 when thousands of protesters marched towards the state legislature. Police used tear gas, water cannons and batons after demonstrators breached barricades.
The protesters have alleged paper leaks and other irregularities in recruitment examinations and are demanding wider reforms to ensure transparency in the selection process.
Soren, meanwhile, has assured protesting students that his government is committed to making recruitment examinations transparent and strengthening the examination system. He has said the government would act against malpractices and ensure that deserving candidates do not lose opportunities because of irregularities.