Deoghar, Aug 13: Former Union minister and senior BJP leader Ashwini Kumar Choubey on Wednesday extended his party’s support to the ongoing students’ agitation in Jharkhand over alleged irregularities in competitive recruitment examinations, and cautioned Chief Minister Hemant Soren against taking their grievances lightly.
“The BJP fully supports the students’ movement. Chief Minister Hemant Soren should not take the students’ angst lightly because students have the power to change the government,” Choubey said while speaking to reporters during a brief halt in Deoghar.
Choubey urged the Jharkhand government to seriously consider the demands raised by the protesting students, who have been agitating in Ranchi over alleged irregularities in recruitment examinations.
The BJP leader also targeted the Congress, alleging that the party was “provoking” students during protests at Jantar Mantar and was adopting a similar approach in Jharkhand.
His remarks came amid a continuing political confrontation over the student agitation, with the BJP and ruling alliance trading allegations over the handling of the protests.
On Bihar politics and the BJP’s defeat in the Bankipur Assembly seat, Choubey said the state was progressing under the leadership of Chief Minister Samrat Chaudhary.
He said former Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar had laid the foundation for development in the state and claimed that Chaudhary was carrying the development agenda forward.
Asked about his own political activities, Choubey said he remained fully active despite not currently being a member of either the Lok Sabha, Rajya Sabha or a state legislature.
“I regularly meet party workers and am working to strengthen the organisation,” he said.
During his halt in Deoghar, Choubey also visited roadside camps and interacted with people involved in assisting pilgrims undertaking the annual Shravan yatra.
The BJP leader’s comments come as the Jharkhand student agitation continues to remain a major political issue in the state, with protesters pressing the government to address their allegations concerning recruitment examinations.
