Ranchi: The second day of the Jharkhand Assembly’s Monsoon Session was marked by noisy scenes on Thursday as the opposition cornered the state government over the ongoing student agitation and alleged irregularities in recruitment examinations, leading to the House being adjourned till 12:30 p.m.
Leader of Opposition Babulal Marandi raised the issue immediately after the proceedings began, calling it the state’s most urgent concern. He alleged that recruitment examinations conducted by the Jharkhand Public Service Commission (JPSC) and the Jharkhand Staff Selection Commission (JSSC) over the past six years had been riddled with irregularities, claiming that government jobs were “sold” during the process.
Marandi argued that the CID was not equipped to conduct an impartial investigation into such serious allegations and demanded that the entire matter be handed over to the CBI under the supervision of a sitting judge.
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Radhakrishna Kishore responded by saying that the Business Advisory Committee had already agreed to allow members to discuss the issue during the debate on the first supplementary budget, urging the House to follow the scheduled procedure.
Congress Legislature Party leader Pradeep Yadav also weighed in, urging the government to open talks with the protesting students at the earliest. He said resolving the issue through dialogue would be in the best interest of the students and would likely receive support from members across party lines.
The debate took a sharp turn when Minister Sudivya Kumar Sonu questioned the opposition’s demand for a CBI probe, asking what previous CBI investigations into JPSC cases had actually achieved. He further challenged Marandi to state whether he would seek the resignation of relatives who had allegedly secured jobs through irregular appointments.
The remarks triggered a heated exchange, prompting opposition MLAs to storm the Well of the House and raise slogans. With the uproar refusing to subside, the Speaker adjourned the Assembly proceedings until 12:30 p.m.