New Delhi, Aug 12: Union Minister of State for Defence Sanjay Seth on Wednesday launched a sharp attack on Congress leader and Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi over the ongoing JPSC-JSSC student agitation in Jharkhand, alleging that he was deliberately ignoring the protesters because of the Congress’ alliance with the ruling JMM.
Taking a swipe at Gandhi’s ‘Chhatron Ki Goonj’ programme, Seth said the Congress leader was unable to hear the “Jharkhand Ki Goonj” despite allegations of police action against protesting students.
“Rahul Gandhi has still not visited Jharkhand, even after students sustaining injuries due to cane charge. He is the biggest factory of lies in the country. He picks and chooses; he is unable to hear the ‘Jharkhand Ki Goonj’,” Seth told reporters outside Parliament.
Seth alleged that Gandhi did not have the “courage” to visit Jharkhand as the Congress is an ally of the JMM-led state government.
“He does not have the strength to go to Jharkhand because the Congress is an ally in the current state regime, so he does not have the courage to go there,” the BJP leader said.
The minister also alleged that senior Ranchi officials had visited the protest site late at night and threatened the students.
“Last night at 1 a.m., the Deputy Commissioner of Ranchi and the Senior SP of Ranchi went to threaten the students, told them to get up, and the electricity was cut off right then at night,” Seth alleged.
He further claimed that when the students arranged a generator with their own money to restore power, police removed it.
“Just this morning, when the students had arranged a generator with their own money to restore electricity, the police removed that too,” he said.
Seth accused the Jharkhand government of adopting a “dictatorial attitude” and alleged irregularities involving around Rs 400 crore in the recruitment examination process.
“A scam of around Rs 400 crore has taken place. Who all benefited from it? That’s what the students are asking,” he alleged.
Questioning the absence of a CBI probe, Seth alleged that people linked to the Jharkhand Chief Minister and Congress could be affected by a thorough investigation.
“Why is a CBI probe not being sought?” he asked, alleging that a probe could put senior leaders of the JMM and Congress in trouble.
Seth also asserted that the protesting students would continue their agitation despite alleged attempts to pressure them.
“They cannot be threatened by anyone,” he said.
Meanwhile, BJP MP Nishikant Dubey also attacked the Congress and the Jharkhand government over the student agitation, questioning why senior Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and party president Mallikarjun Kharge had not spoken out in support of the protesters.
“If someone from a wealthy region and a wealthy party leader like Mallikarjun Kharge doesn’t see the backwardness, poverty, or corruption of Jharkhand, he should be ashamed,” Dubey said.
He accused senior state officials of acting harshly against the protesting students.
“Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi should be ashamed of the way Ranchi’s DC, SP, DGP, and Chief Secretary are behaving with the protesting children. I have never seen such tyranny,” he said.
Dubey also questioned why the alleged examination irregularities were not being investigated by the CBI, claiming that a comprehensive probe could reveal the involvement of senior officials and political leaders.
“They know that if a thorough investigation is conducted, it would reveal the involvement of everyone—from Hemant Soren to the Chief Secretary,” he alleged.
The BJP MP further demanded that Congress withdraw its support from the JMM-led government in Jharkhand and stand with the protesting students.
“The Congress should take back its support from JMM in Jharkhand and stand with the students,” Dubey said.
The allegations made by the BJP leaders come amid the continuing agitation by JPSC-JSSC aspirants, who have been demanding action over alleged irregularities in recruitment examinations and a thorough probe into the matter.
