Jharkhand student agitation draws national party flak over recruitment transparency

Ranchi – The hunger strike by JPSC‑JSSC candidates in Jharkhand has become a flashpoint for national parties ahead of the upcoming election cycle. Rahul Gandhi’s brief video endorsement sparked a swift rebuttal from the BJP and JDU, who accused the Congress of leveraging the protest for political mileage.

Minister Ramkripal Yadav of Bihar highlighted that the students are enduring hardships without any party affiliation and called on the Jharkhand government to recognise their pain and act decisively.

BJP spokesperson Pratul Shahdev remarked that the Congress’s approach is one of “convenient politics,” asserting that its sympathy depends on the state concerned. He noted that the students had been demanding Gandhi’s physical presence for 12‑13 days before the party released a recorded message.

In Patna, Bihar BJP president Sanjay Saravgi questioned the sincerity of the Congress, emphasizing that four of its ministers represent Jharkhand yet none have visited the protest sites. He suggested a serious stance would have forced Chief Minister Hemant Soren to seek a CBI probe.

JDU national spokesperson Rajiv Ranjan Prasad asked why the opposition seemed to awaken only on the 14th day. He described the demonstrators as peaceful, insisting that they seek merit‑based jobs without paying “a heavy price.” He criticized the state’s ad‑hoc committee as a diversion from a direct dialogue with the chief minister.

The aspirants continue to demand a CBI investigation into alleged irregularities in the recruitment process, reinforcing their call for transparency and accountability.