Jharkhand protest highlights: 'Rahul Gandhi should stop writing letters, instead…’, says BJP spokesperson Pratul Shahdeo

Jharkhand students protest LIVE: There will be no further updates on this blog.

Jharkhand students protest LIVE: Jharkhand Leader of Opposition Babulal Marandi on Monday alleged that the state government was delaying talks with protesting students over alleged irregularities in recruitment examinations conducted by the Jharkhand Public Service Commission (JPSC) and Jharkhand Staff Selection Commission (JSSC).

He said that the government's intentions were not right and that students had been staging sit-ins and hunger strikes demanding a CBI investigation into alleged irregularities.

The latest round of talks was scheduled for today, with the government seeking to break the deadlock after earlier discussions failed to produce a final resolution. (ANI)

Jharkhand students protest LIVE: Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren arrives at Project Bhawan, the state secretariat, to chair the cabinet meeting, news agency ANI reported.

Jharkhand students protest LIVE: Amid the ongoing student protests, Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren has called a meeting of his cabinet colleagues at the project building, news agency ANI reported.

Jharkhand students protest LIVE: Amid the prolonged agitation by JPSC-JSSC candidates in Ranchi, Jharkhand Ministers Deepika Pandey and Irfan Ansari on Monday said the state government was committed to addressing the legitimate demands of protesting students and maintained that dialogue remained the only way to find a solution.

Minister Deepika Pandey said the government had already held multiple rounds of discussions with representatives of the protesting candidates and was continuing efforts to reach an understanding on their demands.

"Continuous efforts are being made to meet all the legitimate demands of the students. I wish to place before you the points agreed upon after two rounds of discussions with them," she said. (AMI)

Jharkhand protest LIVE: If you are just joining us, here are the top points from today:

-Jharkhand student protests enter 24th day over alleged irregularities in JPSC and JSSC examinations.

-BJP attacks CM Hemant Soren for skipping talks with protesting students and urges him to personally lead negotiations.

-BJP questions the four-member ministerial panel, saying previous talks remained inconclusive and some ministers had made “objectionable remarks” against students.

-Student leader Devendra Nath Mahto reaches 15th day of hunger strike, describing his health as “extremely critical and in its final phase”.

-Students to gherao CM Soren’s residence on August 20.

-Rahul Gandhi wrote a letter to CM Hemant Soren, urging him to meet the protesting students and talk directly with them.

-CID raids underway at JSSC office in Ranchi over recruitment exam irregularities.

Jharkhand protest LIVE: BJP on Monday claimed that the JMM government has looted Jharkhand with “both hands."

Launching a stern attack at chief minister Hemant Soren, the official handle of BJP Jharkhand remarked that in the last 5 years, his government has looted more than 1 lakh crore.

“The government is looting Jharkhand with both hands. In the last 5 years, the Hemant government has looted more than 1 lakh crore,” the handle wrote on X.

"For tourism, the center gave a special grant of 1000 crore to every state. All states sent proposals and took the money, but Jharkhand's JMM government didn't even send a proposal," it added.

Jharkhand protest LIVE: BJP spokesperson Pratul Shahdeo on Rahul Gandhi writing a letter to Hemant Soren over the youth protest said, "Rahul Gandhi should stop writing letters and instead visit and meet the protesting youth in Ranchi. He does not care about them, and that truth is out."

Jharkhand protest LIVE: Jharkhand LoP Babulal Marandi, on Rahul Gandhi's letter to CM Hemant Soren, said, "I think Rahul Gandhi's demands are merely an attempt to deceive people. I was watching an interview on social media with a young woman protesting at the site. She said that if Rahul Gandhi can go to Prayagraj and Jantar Mantar, and it takes only one hour and 40 minutes to reach Delhi by flight, he could spend even half an hour meeting the protesting youths and then return. But he does not have the time to come here; instead, he is writing letters."

Jharkhand protest LIVE: CID raids underway at JSSC office in Ranchi over recruitment exam irregularities, top officer says, news agency PTI reported; action comes amid ongoing protests in Jharkhand over alleged discrepancies in the recruitment process

Jharkhand protest LIVE: Amid the prolonged agitation by JPSC-JSSC candidates in Ranchi, Jharkhand Ministers Deepika Pandey and Irfan Ansari on Monday said the state government was committed to addressing the legitimate demands of protesting students and maintained that dialogue remained the only way to find a solution.

Minister Deepika Pandey said the government had already held multiple rounds of discussions with representatives of the protesting candidates and was continuing efforts to reach an understanding on their demands.

"Continuous efforts are being made to meet all the legitimate demands of the students. I wish to place before you the points agreed upon after two rounds of discussions with them," she said.

Jharkhand Minister Irfan Ansari said that Dialogue with the students was the only way to resolve any issues.

"The Congress party stands with the youth; our government stands with the youth. Their demands are legitimate. The government is considering them. There was uncertainty regarding whether the government would agree to certain points, but those matters are being discussed again. Dialogue is the only way to resolve this issue... The BJP wants to hijack this issue. Where did the BJP come from in all this? The youth belong to us; we are talking to them," he said.

Both ministers also accused the BJP of attempting to politically appropriate the student movement. Deepika Pandey alleged that the opposition was using students as a "shield" to target the state government and cause economic harm to Jharkhand.

"The BJP wants to hijack this issue. Where did the BJP come from in all this? The youth belong to us; we are talking to them," Ansari said.

(ANI)

Jharkhand protest LIVE: Leaving for fresh round of talks with Jharkhand Govt today, student protester Kartik Soren told news agency ANI, "The Govt has accepted 95% of our demands regarding reforms. As far as our demand for exam cancellation and investigation (by CBI) is concerned, no agreement has been reached. So, we are going there regarding that. Let's see what happens. We have been positive from day 1. We have a lot of hopes with the State Govt that they would accept our demands. Our demands are genuine and they will accept it..."

Jharkhand protest LIVE: Rahul Gandhi and the Congress stood firmly behind the job aspirants protesting alleged irregularities in Jharkhand's recruitment exams, the party's state in-charge K Raju said on Monday and appealed to Chief Minister Hemant Soren to resolve the issue soon.

This came as students protesting against the alleged irregularities for 24 days now accused the ruling JMM-Congress alliance of "failing to take concrete action" on their demands for reforms in the recruitment exam system.

They have also demanded that the Congress withdraw its support from the JMM-led government if the chief minister fails to act on their concerns.

Raju said Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has written to Jharkhand Chief Minister Soren, urging him to meet the representatives of protesting students to redress their concerns.

"Gandhi wrote to Soren on August 14 and appreciated that the Jharkhand government has initiated a dialogue with the students through a committee instituted by the chief minister and has reached an agreement on several of their demands," he said at a press conference here.

(PTI)

Jharkhand protest LIVE: The agitation by students over alleged irregularities in Jharkhand's recruitment examinations intensified on Sunday, as protesters burnt effigies of Chief Minister Hemant Soren, Rahul Gandhi and RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav here, accusing the JMM-Congress alliance of "failing to take concrete action" on their demands.

The state government, meanwhile, extended an invitation in the evening to the protesters for a fresh round of talks on Monday.

The stir, led by the 'JPSC-JSSC Reforms Manch', entered its 23rd day on Sunday, with the students reiterating their demand for a CBI probe into the alleged irregularities and cancellation of the JSSC-CGL examination.

The agitators took out a torchlight procession from the protest site Jaipal Singh Munda Stadium to Albert Ekka Chowk, where they burnt the effigies. Effigies were also burnt in various other districts across the state.

(PTI)

Jharkhand protest LIVE: Rahul Gandhi urged CM Hemant Soren to personally meet representatives of protesting students and take appropriate action to resolve their concerns. He also said that “the demands of students are legitimate.”

Jharkhand protest live: Student leader Devendra Nath Mahto, who completed 15 days of hunger strike of alleged irregularities in the Jharkhand Public Service Commission (JPSC) and Jharkhand Staff Selection Commission (JSSC), on Sunday called for permanent reforms in the education system to ensure that future generations do not face similar hardships.

In a post on X, Mahto said the government had called for talks on Monday and expressed hope that the dialogue would lead to a positive outcome.

Jharkhand protest live: Job aspirants protesting against alleged irregularities in the recruitment examinations in Jharkhand are scheduled to hold fresh talks with the state government on Monday as the stir entered its 24th day with six agitators still on hunger strike.

A day earlier, the demonstrators burnt the effigies of Chief Minister Hemant Soren, Rahul Gandhi and RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav, accusing the JMM-Congress alliance of "failing to take concrete action" on their demands.

Later in the evening, the Hemant Soren government invited the protesters for a fresh round of talks at 2 pm on Monday.

The proposed meeting will be the seventh round of talks between the government and the agitating students. The previous rounds of talks failed to yield any breakthrough.

The decision came following a meeting between the protesters and the sub-divisional officer and the additional district magistrate (Law and Order) at the Jaipal Singh Munda Stadium.

Jharkhand protest live: The job aspirants protesting against alleged irregularities in the Jharkhand Public Service Commission (JPSC) examinations on Saturday announced that they would gherao chief minister Hemant Soren’s official residence on August 20, demanding his resignation.

Seeking “accountability” for the irregularities, spokesperson of the “JPSC-JSSC Reforms Manch”, Piyush Singh, said: “This is the first time we are making this demand. It’s time that accountability must also be fixed for the scams”.

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Jharkhand protest live: The agitation by students over alleged irregularities in Jharkhand's recruitment examinations intensified on Sunday, as protesters burnt effigies of Chief Minister Hemant Soren, Rahul Gandhi and RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav here, accusing the JMM-Congress alliance of "failing to take concrete action" on their demands.

The state government, meanwhile, extended an invitation in the evening to the protesters for a fresh round of talks on Monday.

The stir, led by the 'JPSC-JSSC Reforms Manch', entered its 23rd day on Sunday, with the students reiterating their demand for a CBI probe into the alleged irregularities and cancellation of the JSSC-CGL examination.

The agitators took out a torchlight procession from the protest site Jaipal Singh Munda Stadium to Albert Ekka Chowk, where they burnt the effigies. Effigies were also burnt in various other districts across the state.

(PTI)

Jharkhand protest live: JPSC-JSSC aspirants continue their protest in Ranchi on Monday, with student protesters observing an indefinite hunger strike at Jaipal Singh Munda Stadium as a fresh round of talks between the students and the Jharkhand government is scheduled to take place.

The protest has entered its 24th day, with student protesters continuing their agitation until their demands are addressed.

Speaking to ANI, one of the protesters, Baha Linda, appealed that if Congress leader Rahul Gandhi is unhappy with the lathi charge on students, he should visit the protest site and withdraw support from the government, similar to his expression of unhappiness over the incident at Jantar Mantar.

"Rahul Gandhi says that he condemns the lathi charge. If you are really unhappy with the lathi charge on students, then we would like you to come to our protest site and withdraw support from the government, just as you expressed your unhappiness at Jantar Mantar," Linda said.

He also raised concerns over city land being sold in the name of development and alleged that government posts in the state are being given to outsiders.

(ANI)

Jharkhand protest live: The Jharkhand government on Monday will hold a fresh round of talsk with protesting students over the alleged examination irregularities. Congress leader Rajesh Thakur on Monday said efforts were being made to find a solution to the demands of students.

"Right from the beginning, we have made efforts to find a solution to the demands of students. For this, we have been having continuous talks...We have been appealing to both - students and the Government to set aside their stubbornness," Thakur told ANI.

He stressed that an agreement can be reached only through dialogue.

"An agreement can be reached only when both sides are heard, and both sides are ready to listen to each other. Stubbornness is not the solution. So, we believe that students as well as the Government delegation will sit together and a decision will be made by keeping students in focal point, and a positive result will come," he said.

Targeting BJP, Thakur accused Leader of Opposition Babulal Marandi of politicising the agitation.

"Babulal Marandi is doing his own politics. He has nothing to do with students' protest. They want to earn political points through this students' protest. This doesn't seem possible here," he said.

Thakur also urged students to sustain their agitation to bring about systemic change. "Students should be adamant about a reformation in the system. They should be adamant for at least 3 months; only then will reformation come about. If they sit home after the Government's assurance, then a solution will not come out. They will have to be at it continuously and draw the Government's attention towards it," he added.

(ANI)

Jharkhand protest live: Tensions between the Jharkhand government and protesting students flared up on Monday as the BJP criticised Chief Minister Hemant Soren for skipping a critical round of talks aimed at resolving the ongoing examinations crisis.

The student demonstration, stationed at Jaipal Singh Stadium in Ranchi, reached its 24th consecutive day, driven by widespread anger over alleged irregularities in exams conducted by the Jharkhand Public Service Commission (JPSC) and the Jharkhand Staff Selection Commission (JSSC).

Speaking with ANI, BJP Jharkhand Chief Spokesperson Pratul Shah Deo slammed the administration, questioning Chief Minister Soren's absence from the negotiations table. Shah Deo argued that the head of state should have personally led the dialogue to demonstrate genuine commitment to the youth.

Criticising Soren's decision to send a ministerial delegation instead of attending himself, Shah Deo stated, "I wish the CM had shown sincerity and been a part of these talks. Why is he being stubborn and not accepting students' demands?"

(ANI)

Jharkhand protest live: Jharkhand student leader Devendra Nath Mahato on Monday expressed "hope and faith" ahead of the fresh round of talks with the state government, saying that if the government fails to meet the students' expectations, "the struggle will continue."

The student protest at Jaipal Singh Stadium in Ranchi has entered its 24th consecutive day against alleged irregularities in examinations conducted by the Jharkhand Public Service Commission (JPSC) and Jharkhand Staff Selection Commission (JSSC).

Speaking about the government's invitation for talks and its decision to allow students to bring legal experts, Mahato said he hoped the discussions would lead to a solution that ensures a fair education and examination system for future generations.

"There is hope and faith. But if the government fails to live up to it, the struggle will continue. I hope the talks satisfy the students, and we want an education system to emerge--a system that for generations to come, for those currently in 1st, 2nd, 3rd grade, or in school, or in 2, when those students face competitive exams, they shouldn't have to face such struggles," he said.

(ANI)

Jharkhand protest live: Student protester Rahul Kranti, who is on the 15th day of his hunger strike against irregularities in Jharkhand's competitive examinations, said on Monday that he did not expect the state government to accept the students' demand for a CBI probe into the matter, ahead of a fresh round of talks with the government.

The student protest at Jaipal Singh Stadium has entered its 24th consecutive day against alleged irregularities in examinations conducted by the Jharkhand Public Service Commission (JPSC) and Jharkhand Staff Selection Commission (JSSC).

Speaking about the talks with the state government, Kranti said, "We demand a CBI probe. If the Govt accepts the demand for a CBI probe, it will be good. But I don't think they will accept the demand."

He said students had repeatedly heard the Chief Minister speak about a CID investigation but were seeking a broader reform of the examination system.

"We have heard the CM several times, he speaks about a CID investigation. But we want reform. We don't care about party politics. Anyone can be in power, but jobs should not be sold, and there should be reform in the system. Therefore, we are demanding a CBI investigation..." Kranti said.

(ANI)

Jharkhand protest live: The Jharkhand government has invited job aspirants protesting alleged irregularities in state recruitment examinations for a fresh rounds of talks on Monday, officials said on Sunday.

The development comes a day after JPSC-JSSC Reforms Manch — which is spearheading the protest — announced they would gherao chief minister Hemant Soren’s residence on August 20, demanding his resignation.

“We will definitely go for the talks as we want to resolve the issue through dialogue. But, we are firm on two demands – a CBI probe into irregularities in recruitment tests and cancellation of the JSSC-CGL (Jharkhand Staff Selection Commission-Combine Graduate Level) exams,” Manch leader Ravindra Paswan said.