New Delhi, August 18, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
The BJP on Tuesday welcomed the Jharkhand government’s decision to cancel the JSSC-CGL examination and other recruitment tests conducted by TDPL, saying the move followed sustained student protests and amounted to the Hemant Soren government being forced to “bow down”.
The reaction came after Jharkhand student leader Devendra Nath Mahto ended his 16-day hunger strike following the state government’s decision. The students, however, continue to demand a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into alleged irregularities in recruitment examinations.
Speaking to IANS, BJP Bihar president Sanjay Saraogi congratulated the protesting students and called for a CBI inquiry into the alleged examination irregularities.
“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? There should definitely be a CBI enquiry,” Saraogi said.
Bihar Minister Ramkripal Yadav said the government had been compelled to acknowledge that mistakes had been made.
“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 would establish the truth.
BJP spokesperson R.P. Singh also backed the students’ demand for a central probe, saying cancellation of an examination alone would not establish who was responsible for the alleged irregularities.
BJP MP Praveen Khandelwal, meanwhile, urged the state government to continue engaging with the protesting students and resolve any remaining concerns through dialogue.
JD(U) MP Sanjay Kumar Jha said the examination irregularities had made the students’ demand for action understandable, while AAP national spokesperson Priyanka Kakkar said the students had conducted a peaceful protest and hoped their concerns would be addressed.
Four protesters — Mahto, Umm-e-Habiba, Prem Nayak and Kush Mahto — ended their hunger strike at around 1.15 a.m. at Ranchi Sadar Hospital after the government announced the cancellations. Ministers Deepika Pandey Singh and Irfan Ansari offered them juice to formally end the fast.
Mahto said that on the 16th day of the hunger strike, the protesters decided to suspend the fast after their demands were accepted.
The agitation, however, is not completely over. The JPSC-JSSC Reform Forum has said it will continue its movement seeking a CBI investigation into alleged irregularities in recruitment examinations.
The student agitation began over alleged discrepancies in the 14th JPSC examination, JSSC-CGL and other recruitment tests, with protesters demanding transparency and accountability.
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