RANCHI: Amid escalating student protests over alleged irregularities in recruitment examinations, Chief Minister Hemant Soren on Monday appealed to students to maintain peace and resolve their grievances through dialogue, asserting that his government was treating their demands with “seriousness and sensitivity”.
In a social media post issued amid the day-long student agitation, Soren said raising one’s voice over genuine demands was a democratic right of students and that it was the government’s responsibility to listen to them and address their concerns.
Describing the students as the future of Jharkhand, he said the government had no intention of ignoring their voices and reiterated that listening to their grievances and resolving them was its responsibility.
“I will reiterate my point: let us resolve this issue together through dialogue and trust,” Soren wrote on X.
The chief minister further said senior ministers in his government had remained in continuous dialogue with student representatives and assured that serious action would be taken on their demands.
He said the government had taken action against those found responsible for irregularities in recent days and asserted that no one would be spared, irrespective of their position.
“We want to make the examination system more transparent, technology-enabled, secure and accountable. Your participation in this change is the most important,” the chief minister wrote.
The government's objective was not merely to address the immediate controversy but also to correct systemic shortcomings in the recruitment examination process so that students did not face similar problems in the future, he added.
Soren also stressed that student participation would be crucial in bringing about such reforms.
The chief minister thanked administrative and police officials and personnel for handling Monday’s student protest with restraint, sensitivity and a sense of responsibility.
“I extend my heartfelt thanks to all the officials and personnel of the administration and police for handling the situation during today's student movement with restraint, sensitivity, and complete responsibility,” he said.
Soren's remarks came on a day when thousands of students marched towards the Jharkhand Assembly, breached multiple layers of barricading and reached the vicinity of Assembly Gate No. 1. Police used water cannons, tear gas and lathi-charge in attempts to prevent the protesters from advancing further.
The Chief Minister also accused opposition parties of attempting to politicise the student agitation. He alleged that while the protest itself was peaceful, certain opposition leaders and individuals were trying to vitiate the atmosphere and mislead students for political gains.
Soren appealed to the protesting students not to be influenced by what he described as political narratives surrounding their agitation.
