Job aspirants protesting against alleged irregularities in recruitment examinations in Jharkhand are scheduled to hold fresh talks with the state government on Monday, as their agitation entered its 24th day with six protesters still on hunger strike.
A day earlier, the protesters burnt effigies of Chief Minister Hemant Soren, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav, accusing the JMM-Congress alliance of failing to take concrete action on their demands.
The Hemant Soren government later invited the protesters for another round of talks at 2 pm on Monday.
The meeting will be the seventh round of discussions between the government and the protesting students. Previous rounds failed to produce a breakthrough.
The decision followed a meeting between the protesters, the sub-divisional officer and the additional district magistrate (Law and Order) at Jaipal Singh Munda Stadium.
“We will definitely attend the talks as we want to resolve the issue through dialogue. We are firm on two demands — a CBI probe into irregularities in recruitment examinations and cancellation of the JSSC-CGL examination,” JPSC-JSSC Reforms Manch leader Ravindra Paswan told reporters.
Led by the JPSC-JSSC Reforms Manch, the protesters are demanding a CBI investigation into alleged irregularities in recruitment examinations and the cancellation of the JSSC-CGL examination.
The protesters held a torchlight procession from the protest site at Jaipal Singh Munda Stadium to Albert Ekka Chowk on Sunday, where they burnt the effigies. Similar demonstrations were held in several districts.
The students accused the ruling JMM-Congress alliance of failing to take tangible action and alleged that the government was playing politics over issues affecting the future of job aspirants.
On Saturday, the protesters announced plans to gherao the Chief Minister’s residence on August 20 and appealed to students from across Jharkhand to gather in Ranchi for the demonstration.
“We seek the CM’s resignation, as both the JMM and the Congress have been playing politics with us,” Paswan alleged.
The protesters have also demanded that the Congress withdraw its support from the JMM-led government if the Chief Minister fails to address their concerns.
Jharkhand Leader of Opposition Babulal Marandi on Sunday urged Soren to accept the students’ demands and backed their call for a CBI probe.
“The students have been demanding a CBI probe into the irregularities, and I think the government should order it. Why does the government fear this?” Marandi said.
He warned that continued government inaction could force more young people and students to take to the streets.
On the proposed gherao of the Chief Minister’s residence, Marandi said the BJP would extend moral support to the students, who have been protesting peacefully for more than three weeks.
The Congress said its state unit would discuss the issue at a meeting on August 18.
“Any attempt to harm the future of Jharkhand’s youth will not be tolerated,” state Congress media in-charge Rakesh Sinha said, adding that the party would raise the students’ concerns and push for transparency, impartiality and a time-bound recruitment process.
The protesters have also criticised Rahul Gandhi, saying that although he had expressed support for the students, no concrete action had followed.
The Jharkhand government has sought to reassure job aspirants by announcing measures aimed at making the recruitment process more transparent and secure.
The proposed measures include a time-bound annual examination calendar, technology-secured examinations, timely publication of answer keys and OMR sheets, and multi-level accountability in the recruitment process.
The government has also launched a campaign to gather suggestions from students, teachers, educationists and parents on reforms to the examination system.
(With inputs from PTI)