RANCHI: Students protesting alleged irregularities in Jharkhand’s recruitment examinations on Saturday announced plans to gherao chief minister Hemant Soren’s residence on August 20 and demanded his resignation.The announcement was made during a ‘Tiranga Yatra’ organised in Ranchi on Independence Day as the agitation entered its 22nd day. Thousands of students and job aspirants, including two wheelchair-bound protesters on hunger strike, took part in the march.“We will gherao the chief minister’s residence on August 20. We seek his resignation as both the JMM and the Congress are playing politics with us. We also demand that Congress leader Rahul Gandhi withdraw support from the JMM-led coalition if the CM is not listening to him,” JPSC-JSSC Reforms Manch leader Ravindra Paswan said.The protesters have demanded the cancellation of the JSSC-CGL and certain JPSC examinations over alleged irregularities. They are also seeking an independent investigation, either by the CBI or a panel of retired judges from outside Jharkhand.The students said the agitation would continue until the government takes concrete action on their demands. They also appealed to students from across the state to reach Ranchi for the proposed August 20 protest.The protesters further announced that effigies of Soren and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi would be burnt across all 24 districts on Sunday. They accused the ruling JMM-Congress alliance of failing to take concrete steps to address their concerns.Saturday’s ‘Tiranga Yatra’ began at Jaipal Singh Munda Stadium, where the agitation is being held, and ended at Albert Ekka Chowk. The participants carried the national flag and raised slogans such as “Bharat Mata Ki Jai” and “Vande Mataram”.JLKM leader Devendra Mahto, who has been on a hunger strike for 14 days, alleged that police stopped him from leaving Sadar Hospital to join the march. Videos purportedly showing Mahto arguing and scuffling with security personnel while trying to leave the hospital were circulated on social media.The protesters said their concerns go beyond individual examinations and relate to the credibility of Jharkhand’s entire recruitment system. They said the issue affects thousands of young people preparing for government jobs.“Independence doesn’t just mean freedom from the British, but also freedom from inequality of opportunities, corruption and injustice,” the JPSC-JSSC Reforms Manch said, urging young people to raise their voices peacefully for their rights.Former Jharkhand chief minister and BJP MLA Champai Soren also criticised the state government over the issue. He accused the Hemant Soren government of running a “despotic government” and questioned why it had not recommended a CBI probe into the alleged irregularities.Speaking to reporters at Bhuiyandih in Jamshedpur, Champai Soren said hundreds of students had been forced to stay at Jaipal Singh Munda Stadium away from their homes even on Independence Day.“If you are not a part of a job-selling racket, what is the problem in recommending a CBI probe?” he asked.The state government, meanwhile, said it was taking steps to make recruitment examinations more transparent and secure.In his Independence Day address, Chief Minister Hemant Soren acknowledged that questions over recruitment examinations had affected the confidence of an entire generation of job aspirants. He said allegations of irregularities would be investigated impartially and those found guilty would face strict legal action, regardless of their influence or position.Soren also warned against holding anyone responsible without evidence, saying that the process of justice must be based on facts. He said action against those involved in examination irregularities alone would not be sufficient and stressed the need for wider reforms to prevent such incidents in the future.The measures announced by the government include a fixed annual examination calendar, technology-enabled security measures, timely release of answer keys and OMR sheets, and multiple levels of accountability in the recruitment process.
