Jharkhand CM Soren urges dialogue as students protest exam irregularities

The Story in Brief

Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren on Monday appealed to thousands of students marching on the state assembly over alleged irregularities in recruitment examinations to maintain peace and resolve issues through dialogue. In a social media post, Soren described the students as the state's future, said their peaceful protest was a democratic right, and pledged to make the exam system 'transparent, technology-enabled, secure and accountable'. He thanked police and administration for handling the agitation with 'restraint, sensitivity and complete responsibility'.

The protest saw students breach multiple barricades near the Jharkhand Assembly, with police using water cannons, tear gas and lathi-charge. Soren accused opposition parties of trying to politicise the agitation and mislead students for political gain. The BJP, whose leaders including Babulal Marandi were detained during a separate protest, demanded a CBI probe and the chief minister's resignation. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi condemned the police action as 'wrong' and reiterated that only dialogue can yield solutions. The students, who have been protesting for over 17 days, allege a systemic rot in the state's recruitment process.