Jharkhand exam stir: High Court stay reignites protests, parties trade accusations
Resentment among students protesting over cancelled recruitment examinations in Jharkhand grew on Saturday as the Jharkhand High Court's stay on several cancellation notifications came under focus. Protesters, who had earlier demanded the cancellation of allegedly irregular exams, now accuse the Hemant Soren-led government of failing to argue its case effectively in court.
The protests stem from the state government's decision to cancel 22 job examinations and order a probe into 23 others, which was announced after a 26-day agitation against alleged irregularities. While that decision was widely welcomed by aspirants, it also sparked a counter-protest from successful candidates, many of whom approached the High Court fearing they would lose their jobs. The High Court's interim stay on multiple cancellation notifications has now emboldened the original protesters, who see it as a setback to the reforms they have been demanding.
Members of the JPSC-JSSC Reforms Manch, the group leading the agitation, held a protest march on Friday to the Jharkhand Public Service Commission office in Ranchi, where police and demonstrators scuffled. Similar protests were reported in Hazaribag and Giridih. At Albert Chowk in Ranchi, effigies of Chief Minister Hemant Soren and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi were burned, with protesters alleging that the government had "betrayed" students by not properly defending its cancellation decisions in the High Court.
The political reaction has been sharp. Leader of Opposition Babulal Marandi, addressing a gathering, expressed solidarity with the protesters and accused the ruling JMM-Congress alliance of "selling off" the jobs of poor, Dalit, and tribal students. He claimed that the cancellation of exams was a mere "show" to weaken the students' struggle. Mr. Marandi also took aim at Rahul Gandhi, saying, "Your duplicitous attitude will be exposed before the students of the country. These students are not heirs to a legacy like you and Hemant Soren. They will secure their rights."
Former Chief Minister Champai Soren expressed regret over the police action during the protests, calling the alleged crackdown in Ranchi, Hazaribag, and Giridih "unfortunate." He said it violated the democratic rights of students. The ruling JMM, however, has accused the BJP of using students for political gain. JMM general secretary Vinod Pandey said the BJP was "all out to destroy the social fabric of Jharkhand" and was exploiting the recruitment examination issue for its own interests.
The JPSC-JSSC Reforms Manch has also raised concerns about the government's handling of the litigation. It claimed that senior law officers were not present during the hearings to effectively contest the petitions filed by successful candidates. The group maintains that the government's half-hearted defence in court has undermined the credibility of the cancellation process.
In a related development, JLKM leader Devendra Nath Mahto announced a 'Recruitment System Reforms Yatra' to begin on August 24. He also warned of a possible gherao of the Chief Minister's residence if the government fails to defend its position before the High Court on September 15.
Meanwhile, the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) is continuing its investigation into the alleged irregularities in the recruitment examinations. Its Special Investigation Team has so far questioned 37 suspects in connection with the 2023 JSSC Graduate Level Combined Competitive Examination. The CID has appealed to the public to share any information related to the "anomalies" in the exams, indicating that the investigation is being widened.
