RANCHI: Former Jharkhand chief minister and BJP leader Raghubar Das on Wednesday met students protesting against alleged irregularities in recruitment examinations and gave the Hemant Soren-led government a week to recommend a CBI probe into the matter.Das, who visited the protesting students at Jaipal Singh Munda Stadium, said he would sit on a hunger strike if the government failed to recommend the probe within the deadline.“If the state government fails to recommend a CBI probe into recruitment examination irregularities within a week, I will be forced to sit on a hunger strike here,” Das said while addressing the protesters, news agency PTI reporetd.Thousands of students have been protesting for the past 19 days under the banner of the JPSC-JSSC Reforms Manch.They have been demanding action over alleged irregularities in recruitment examinations.Das also visited Sadar Hospital to meet protesters who were injured during police action outside the state Assembly on Tuesday.The BJP leader accused the JMM-led government of playing with the future of lakhs of students in the state.“If the government is clean and has no involvement, it should recommend a CBI probe into the irregularities. Otherwise, people of Jharkhand will consider there is involvement of top politicians and bureaucrats in the irregularities,” he said.Das alleged that massive recruitment scams had taken place over the past six years under the JMM-led government.The former chief minister also demanded compensation of Rs 1 crore each for the next of kin of 19 people who died during physical tests for excise constable recruitment in 2024.Over 15 aspirants lost their lives while taking part in the physical tests during the recruitment drive.The BJP has repeatedly targeted the Hemant Soren government over the deaths, alleging administrative mismanagement and negligence, PTI reported.Das also alleged that the Ranchi district administration had attempted to forcibly remove students from the Jaipal Singh Munda Stadium, where they have been protesting against alleged irregularities in recruitment examinations.He criticised the alleged action against the students and warned administrative officials against using pressure tactics to end the agitation.“I strongly condemn the pressure tactics employed yesterday by these officials, which aimed at breaking students’ morale and forcing them to call off the protest,” he said.Das said the agitation had the support of four crore people in Jharkhand and warned the government against ignoring the protesters’ demands.He also said that if the government did not act on the demand for a CBI probe, he would join the students’ hunger strike after a week.(With agency inputs)
