J'khand protesters allege govt 'betrayal' after HC stays exam cancellations

Resentment simmered among exam protesters in Jharkhand on Saturday, who accused the Hemant Soren government of "betraying" them by failing to properly defend in the High Court its decision to cancel several recruitment exams, a key demand of the agitators.

The BJP extended its support to the protesters and accused Congress leader Rahul Gandhi of showcasing a "duplicitous attitude" over students' welfare. The ruling JMM, on the other hand, alleged the BJP was using students to further its political interests.

The JMM-led government's decision to cancel 22 job exams and order a probe into 23 others quelled the 26-day stir against alleged irregularities in Jharkhand's recruitment exams but triggered another protest by successful candidates, many of whom moved the High Court fearing job loss.

Hearing their pleas, the Jharkhand High Court stayed a number of government notifications cancelling recruitment exams.

This caused disgruntlement among the exam protesters. Members of the 'JPSC-JSSC Reforms Manch', which has been spearheading the stir, took out a protest march on Friday to the Jharkhand Public Service Commission office here, and scuffled with police.

They had also gathered at Albert Chowk to burn effigies of Chief Minister Soren and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, to protest against job exam "anomalies" and the "betrayal by the state government by not strongly defending its decision in the high court".

Leader of Opposition Babulal Marandi accused the government of using force against students, while former chief minister Champai Soren termed the alleged crackdown in Ranchi, Hazaribag and Giridih unfortunate, and said it violated the students' democratic rights.

Marandi said, "The JMM-Congress was not satisfied even after selling off the jobs of Jharkhand's poor, Dalit, and tribal students. To weaken their struggle, they tried to sow discord, applied pressure, and put on a show of cancelling the exams." "Rahul Gandhi ji, your duplicitous attitude will be exposed before the students of the country. These students are not heirs to a legacy like you and Hemant Soren.