Congress backs Ranchi student stir; Rahul Gandhi says education system has 'collapsed'
New Delhi: The Congress party on Thursday extended its support to students protesting in Ranchi against alleged irregularities in recruitment examinations, with Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi asserting that every government must listen to student voices and work to overhaul the education system.
Speaking during an 'Ask Me Anything' session on Instagram, Gandhi responded to a request to support the Jharkhand agitation. He said student protests across the country are a reflection of a broken education system.
"The student protests happening in the country are against the education system. I have stated it clearly in Kota and Dehradun, and will say it in Allahabad: our education system has collapsed; it is unaffordable and oppressive," Gandhi said.
He added: "Every government, be it the Central government, Jharkhand government or a Congress government, should listen to what students are saying and take action to change the education system."
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said the party would stand with students regardless of which party is in power. "Rahul Gandhi and we are with the students, be it in Jharkhand, Punjab, Delhi or anywhere else. We will ask whether we have made a mistake, and why it has happened. We are writing to the government," he said.
Earlier in the day, All India Congress Committee (AICC) in-charge for Jharkhand, K Raju, said he and state party leaders met Chief Minister Hemant Soren and handed over a memorandum on the students' demands. "We thanked the chief minister for his empathetic positive action for constituting a ministerial committee to consult with protesting students and recommend concrete solutions," Raju said on X.
Raju reiterated that the Jharkhand Congress stands in support of the agitating students. He said the Indian Youth Congress (IYC) and the National Students' Union of India (NSUI) leaders in the state express total solidarity with students protesting against irregularities in the Jharkhand Public Service Commission (JPSC) and Jharkhand Staff Selection Commission (JSSC) recruitments. "Justice for our students remains our top priority!" he posted.
The protest against the alleged irregularities in recruitment exams in Jharkhand entered its 13th day on Thursday, with six demonstrators on a hunger strike. The agitating students and job aspirants formed an 11-member delegation to hold talks with the government to resolve the impasse.
The protest, which began on July 25 under the banner of the JPSC-JSSC Reforms Manch at Jaipal Singh Munda Stadium in Ranchi, has emerged as one of the biggest student-led movements in the state in recent years. The decision to hold talks with the government came a day after Chief Minister Hemant Soren said the doors of his government were open to agitators.
The demonstrators have been demanding cancellation of the 14th Jharkhand PSC Civil Services Examination and an independent probe into the alleged irregularities in the recruitment test, either by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) or by a panel of retired high court judges from outside the state.
In an X post, Soren said the concerns raised by students were being treated with utmost seriousness by his government. He asserted that probe agencies were working round the clock and those responsible for the alleged irregularities were being sent to jail.
"Our objective is not just to investigate but to provide a permanent solution to students' concerns," Soren said, adding that the state government's doors remained open for them to present their demands and suggestions. He assured that every point would be examined carefully and a concrete solution would be announced soon.
The Congress, an ally in the Hemant Soren government, has extended support to the agitating students. The development highlights the delicate balance for the ruling coalition in Jharkhand, which faces pressure from both the protesters and its own political base.
