BJP Says Jharkhand Govt ‘Had to Bow Down’ as Students Win Key Demands

The BJP on Tuesday welcomed the Jharkhand government’s decision to cancel examinations conducted by the Jharkhand Staff Selection Commission (JSSC) and TDPL, saying the move came after weeks of protests and a prolonged hunger strike by students.

The reaction came after Jharkhand student leader Devendra Nath Mahto and three other protesters ended their hunger strike following the state government’s announcement. The BJP, however, maintained that cancelling the examinations was not enough and continued to demand a CBI investigation into alleged irregularities and paper leaks.

BJP Bihar president Sanjay Saraogi congratulated the protesting students and questioned why the state government was reluctant to order a CBI probe.

“Congratulations, the students have won. The examination has been cancelled. But an organised group is operating in Jharkhand, leaking examination papers. What is the problem with a CBI enquiry?” Saraogi told IANS, stressing that the future of thousands of candidates was at stake.

Bihar Minister Ramkripal Yadav said the government had been forced to reconsider its position because of the students’ sustained agitation.

“The government of Jharkhand had to bow down. By bowing down, it means that they have accepted that they made a mistake,” he said, adding that a CBI investigation would establish the facts.

BJP spokesperson R.P. Singh also backed the students’ demand for an independent investigation. He said cancellation of the examinations addressed only one part of the issue and that those responsible for alleged irregularities should be identified through a probe.

At the same time, BJP MP Praveen Khandelwal called for dialogue between the government and students, saying that any remaining concerns should be addressed through discussions rather than allowing the agitation to continue.

JD(U) MP Sanjay Kumar Jha also said the protests were a consequence of the irregularities that had emerged around the recruitment examinations. AAP Chief National Spokesperson Priyanka Kakkar praised the students for conducting what she described as a peaceful protest and said the government’s decision to listen to their demands was a positive development.

The four protesters — Devendra Nath Mahto, Umm-e-Habiba, Prem Nayak and Kush Mahto — ended their hunger strike at around 1.15 a.m. on Tuesday at Ranchi Sadar Hospital.

State ministers Deepika Pandey Singh and Irfan Ansari offered them juice to formally end the fast after the government announced the cancellation of the examinations conducted by JSSC and TDPL.

Speaking after ending his fast, Mahto said the protesters had called off their hunger strike on the 16th day after reaching an understanding with the government.

“Today, on the 16th day of our hunger strike, we ended our fast in a dignified manner,” Mahto said, crediting Health Minister Irfan Ansari, Minister Deepika Pandey and MLA Jairam Mahto for helping facilitate the decision.

However, the issue is far from settled. The JPSC-JSSC Reform Forum has said its agitation will continue until its demand for a CBI investigation into alleged irregularities in recruitment examinations is accepted.

The development therefore marks an important breakthrough for the protesting students, but the demand for an independent probe remains the next major point of contention between the government and the student groups.