RANCHI, Aug 16: The protest by students and job aspirants over alleged irregularities in recruitment examinations in Jharkhand entered its 23rd day on Sunday, with the agitators announcing a fresh escalation of their movement, including plans to gherao Chief Minister Hemant Soren’s residence in Ranchi on August 20.
The protesters, who are demonstrating under the banner of the JPSC-JSSC Reforms Manch, accused the ruling JMM-Congress alliance of failing to take concrete steps to address their demands.
As part of their planned escalation, the protesters said effigies of Chief Minister Hemant Soren and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi would be burnt across all 24 districts of the state.
JPSC-JSSC Reforms Manch leader Ravindra Paswan said the agitation would be intensified if the government failed to take action on the issues raised by students and job aspirants.
“We will gherao the chief minister’s residence on August 20. We seek his resignation as both the JMM and the Congress are playing politics with us,” Paswan said.
He further demanded that Rahul Gandhi withdraw support from the JMM-led coalition if the chief minister failed to address the protesters’ concerns.
The protesters have been raising allegations of irregularities in recruitment examinations conducted by the Jharkhand Public Service Commission (JPSC) and Jharkhand Staff Selection Commission (JSSC), and have been demanding reforms in the recruitment system.
The agitation has continued for more than three weeks, with students and job aspirants pressing the government to take concrete measures to ensure transparency and fairness in the recruitment process.
The protesters said they would continue their movement until their demands were addressed and the government took steps to resolve the issues surrounding the recruitment examinations.
The planned August 20 gherao is expected to mark a further escalation in the ongoing agitation.
