New Delhi: The BJP on Tuesday welcomed the Jharkhand government’s decision to cancel examinations conducted by the Jharkhand Staff Selection Commission (JSSC) and TDPL, saying the decision came only after sustained protests and a 16-day hunger strike by student leaders.
Student leader Devendra Nath Mahto and three other protesters ended their hunger strike after the state government announced the cancellation of the examinations. However, the BJP said the students’ main concern would not be fully addressed until the alleged irregularities and paper leaks were investigated through a CBI probe.
BJP Bihar president Sanjay Saraogi congratulated the students and said the government should have no objection to an independent investigation if there was nothing to hide.
“Congratulations, the students have won. The examination has been cancelled. But an organised group is operating in Jharkhand, leaking examination papers. What is the problem with a CBI enquiry?” Saraogi told IANS.
He said the issue involved the future of thousands of candidates who had invested years preparing for government recruitment examinations and were now demanding transparency and accountability.
Bihar Minister Ramkripal Yadav claimed that the government had effectively been forced to reconsider its position because of the students’ movement.
“The government of Jharkhand had to bow down. By bowing down, it means that they have accepted that they made a mistake,” he said, adding that a CBI investigation could establish the facts and identify those responsible.
BJP spokesperson R.P. Singh also supported the demand for a CBI probe. He said cancelling an examination could provide relief to candidates but would not answer the larger question of who was responsible for the alleged irregularities.
According to Singh, an investigation was necessary to establish accountability and prevent similar controversies from affecting future recruitment examinations.
BJP MP Praveen Khandelwal, meanwhile, stressed the importance of dialogue. He said the government should engage with the students and address any concerns that remain unresolved following the cancellation of the examinations.
JD(U) MP Sanjay Kumar Jha also backed the students’ concerns, saying the irregularities reported in the recruitment examination process had created a situation in which protests were inevitable.
AAP Chief National Spokesperson Priyanka Kakkar praised the students for maintaining a peaceful protest and welcomed the government’s decision to act on their demands. She said the remaining concerns should also be addressed.
The hunger strike was formally called off at around 1.15 a.m. on Tuesday at Ranchi Sadar Hospital. The four protesters who ended their fast were Devendra Nath Mahto, Umm-e-Habiba, Prem Nayak and Kush Mahto.
Jharkhand ministers Deepika Pandey Singh and Irfan Ansari offered the protesters juice as they ended their hunger strike following the government’s decision.
Mahto later said the protesters had ended their fast on the 16th day after receiving assurances from the government.
“Today, on the 16th day of our hunger strike, we ended our fast in a dignified manner,” Mahto said, adding that the decision followed the joint efforts of Health Minister Irfan Ansari, Minister Deepika Pandey and MLA Jairam Mahto.
Despite the cancellation of the examinations, the larger controversy has not ended. The JPSC-JSSC Reform Forum has announced that its agitation will continue until the government agrees to its demand for a CBI investigation into the alleged irregularities in recruitment examinations.
The government’s decision has therefore provided immediate relief to the protesting students, but the demand for an independent probe remains unresolved. The coming days are likely to determine whether the state government can reach an agreement with the student groups and bring the wider recruitment controversy to an end.
With inputs from IANS