Ranchi, August 17, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
As protests by students over alleged irregularities in recruitment examinations in Jharkhand entered their 24th day on Monday, the BJP questioned why Chief Minister Hemant Soren was not directly participating in talks with the demonstrators to resolve the dispute.
A fourth round of discussions between government representatives and the protesting students was scheduled for Monday. The outcome of the meeting is expected to determine the next course of the agitation.
BJP spokesperson Pratul Shah Deo criticised the state government over its handling of the protests and questioned why the dialogue process had been disrupted earlier.
“First, I would like to ask the Chief Minister, why, in the first place, was the sequence of talks broken? You did not just break it; you brutally lathi-charged them, used tear gas, and even got a case of attempted culpable homicide filed against them,” Deo told IANS.
He also questioned Soren’s absence from Monday’s talks, saying the protesting students had expressed a lack of confidence in some members of the government delegation.
“Secondly, Chief Minister, why are you not participating in today’s talks?” Deo asked, alleging that some ministers had made objectionable remarks about the students.
The BJP leader described the students’ demands as “genuine and simple” and urged the government to resolve the matter without further delay.
The protesters have demanded cancellation of examinations conducted by private testing contractor TSR Data Processing Private Limited (TDPL), which has reportedly been blacklisted, besides seeking a CBI probe into alleged irregularities.
“The Chief Minister should just accept the students’ demands; there won’t be any need to hold talks. Just announce it, and students will return to their homes,” Deo said.
Large numbers of students have been demonstrating at Ranchi’s Jaipal Singh Munda Stadium, demanding action over alleged irregularities in recruitment examinations conducted by the Jharkhand Public Service Commission (JPSC) and Jharkhand Staff Selection Commission (JSSC).
The protesters have also announced plans to gherao the Chief Minister’s residence on August 20.
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