Jharkhand Protesters Demand Transparent Talks as Hemant Soren Government Reaches Out
Ranchi: After nearly two weeks of continuous protests, the Jharkhand government has finally opened the door for talks with students who have been demonstrating against alleged irregularities in the 14th Jharkhand Public Service Commission (JPSC) Preliminary Examination. However, the students have made one thing clear—they want the discussions to happen openly, in front of cameras and the media.
The protest, which began 12 days ago at Ranchi’s Jaipal Singh Munda Stadium, has grown into a large movement, with hundreds of job aspirants joining the indefinite sit-in. The students claim there were serious irregularities in the recruitment process and are demanding complete transparency and accountability.
To address the situation, the Hemant Soren government has formed a committee of ministers and officials to hold discussions with the protesters. Ranchi SDO Kumar Rajat assured the students that every concern would be heard and asked them to nominate a delegation of five to seven representatives for the meeting.
Despite welcoming the government’s willingness to engage, the students have refused closed-door negotiations. They insist that any dialogue should be held publicly, with media coverage, to ensure complete transparency. Student leader Devendra Mahato, who has been on a hunger strike for five days, said the protest and fast will continue until their demands are fulfilled.
Meanwhile, the investigation into the alleged recruitment scam is gathering pace. The CID has arrested Rakshak Singh, an accountant linked to the agency that conducted the examinations, along with five more individuals. With these arrests, the total number of people held in the case has reached 20. The Special Investigation Team (SIT) is continuing its probe by examining digital records and other evidence.
The issue has also triggered political reactions. While the BJP has questioned the silence of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on the matter, Jharkhand Minister Irfan Ansari said the government is committed to listening to the students and is prepared to accept reasonable demands through dialogue.
News source: Information for this article was gathered from a variety of reliable news outlets.
