Ranchi, Aug 17 (IANS) As the students’ protest in Jharkhand continues, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Monday questioned why Chief Minister Hemant Soren is not joining the talks with the demonstrators to resolve the issue.
This came as the protest over irregularities in recruitment examinations conducted by the Jharkhand Public Service Commission (JPSC) and Jharkhand Staff Selection Commission (JSSC) entered its 24th day on Monday.
Meanwhile, a fourth round of talks between government representatives and the protesting students is scheduled for Monday. The future direction of the movement will become clear only after the dialogue between the government and the students.
Speaking to IANS, BJP spokesperson Pratul Shah Deo said, “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.”
“Secondly, Chief Minister, why are you not participating in today’s talks? These students have clearly said that they do not have much confidence in these ministers, because these very ministers of the cabinet committee have made objectionable remarks against the students. Some of the people in this delegation are not even students, and another thing they said was that they were BJP supporters. Have some shame,” he stated.
The BJP leader stated that the students’ demands are “genuine and simple” and the government should not take so long to come to an agreement and resolve the issue.
“They have only demanded that the exams conducted by the private testing contractor TSR Data Processing Private Limited (TDPL) be cancelled. That company has been blacklisted. They also want a CBI enquiry. What is wrong with it?” Deo said.
“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,” the BJP spokesperson added.
Gathered in large numbers at Ranchi’s Jaipal Singh Munda Stadium, students have been continuously demonstrating to press for their demands over strict action against examination irregularities. They have also called for a siege of the Chief Minister’s residence on August 20.
–IANS
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