It has been 22 days since the Jharkhand protesters have been protesting against alleged irregularities in Jharkhand recruitment examinations at Ranchi's Jaipal Singh Munda Stadium. As they gear up to gherao Chief Minister Hemant Soren's residence on August 20 to demand his resignation, protesters have also targeted Rahul Gandhi. Although Gandhi had initially offered support and proposed solutions, demonstrators are now demanding that the Congress party withdraw its support from the coalition.
The JPSC-JSSC Reforms Manch leader Ravindra Paswan said that both JMM and the Congress are playing politics with us. He added that if the CM is not listening to Gandhi, then he should withdraw the coalition support.
In the 81-member Jharkhand Assembly, the Congress holds 16 seats, making it the second-largest partner in the coalition after the JMM. Congress also has four Cabinet ministers.
Initially, Gandhi personally spoke with agitating aspirants over the phone. He assured them that he "stands with the students" and would push their demands (exam cancellations and independent investigations) with the Jharkhand government.
"Every government should listen to the students and take action... Whether it is the Congress government, the Central government, or the Jharkhand government," he had said during his interaction with students on 'Ask Me Anything'.
Why Rahul Gandhi is 'compromised'
Despite his support and statements, the student groups and opposition leaders argue that his action lacks teeth compared to his aggressive stance against paper leaks in BJP-ruled states.
According to experts, since Congress is the second-largest partner in the coalition, openly attacking the state administration or pulling out of the government would collapse or severely destabilize the alliance, creating a massive political conflict within the coalition.
Protesting aspirants under the JPSC-JSSC Reforms Manch maintain that mere "sympathy" or statements mean nothing. They have demanded that if CM Hemant Soren refuses to cancel the exams and agree to a CBI probe, Rahul Gandhi and Congress must withdraw their coalition support. Because Congress has not done so, students accuse both parties of "playing politics" and have announced plans to burn effigies of both CM Soren and Rahul Gandhi.
Critics highlight that while Gandhi frequently visits student protest sites in places like Kota, Dehradun, or Prayagraj, he has avoided physically visiting Ranchi or the Jaipal Singh Munda Stadium sit-in site to face the agitators directly.
Meanwhile, former Jharkhand chief minister and BJP MLA Champai Soren accused the Hemant Soren government of running a "despotic government" and questioned its reluctance to recommend a CBI probe into the allegations.
