'Use of force against protesting students wrong', Rahul Gandhi tells Jharkhand government

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Monday criticised the police action against students and job aspirants protesting alleged recruitment examination irregularities in Jharkhand, saying the use of force against them was wrong and urging the state government to resolve their concerns through dialogue. Gandhi’s intervention assumes significance as the Congress is a constituent of the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha-led coalition government headed by Chief Minister Hemant Soren. His remarks came after thousands of job aspirants marching towards the Jharkhand Assembly in Ranchi encountered police barricades on Monday. Police used water cannons, tear gas and batons after protesters breached barricades while attempting to move towards the Assembly, where the monsoon session is underway. Several protesters claimed they were injured in the action.

In a post on X, the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha said students had a right to protest peacefully and called for dialogue between the government and the demonstrators. “The use of force against students protesting in Jharkhand is wrong,” Gandhi said. “Students have a right to peaceful protest, and only dialogue can yield solutions. The Jharkhand government must continue to hear these students out and resolve their issues immediately,” he added.

Protest centres on recruitment exam irregularities

The confrontation took place near the final barricade in the Jagannathpur Temple area on the road leading to the Jharkhand Assembly. Security had been tightened ahead of the march, with prohibitory orders imposed around the Assembly premises as the agitation entered its 16th day. The protests stem from allegations of irregularities in recruitment examinations conducted by the Jharkhand Public Service Commission (JPSC) and Jharkhand Staff Selection Commission (JSSC). Aspirants have been demanding greater transparency in the recruitment process and a CBI investigation into alleged irregularities and paper leaks.

The controversy had intensified last month after the JPSC postponed its Combined Civil Services Mains Examination, which had been scheduled for July 25-27, amid protests over alleged irregularities in the preliminary examination. Opposition parties and aspirant groups have since pressed for an independent investigation. BJP MPs from Jharkhand had also raised the issue in Parliament on July 29, demanding a CBI investigation and accusing the JMM-Congress government of failing to address the concerns of job aspirants.

Monday’s protest escalated as demonstrators pushed through barricades during their march towards the Assembly. Police subsequently deployed water cannons and tear gas and resorted to baton-charge to disperse the crowd. Gandhi’s statement puts the Congress publicly on record against the police action carried out under a government of which it is a coalition partner. His call for immediate dialogue also adds pressure on the Soren government to find a resolution to an agitation that has increasingly centred on questions of transparency and credibility in the state’s public recruitment system.