Ranchi
Amid the ongoing student protest in Jharkhand over alleged irregularities in JPSC and JSSC recruitment examinations, four ministers from the Congress quota in the state cabinet on Wednesday leveled serious allegations against the BJP. Finance Minister Radhakrishna Kishore, Health Minister Dr. Irfan Ansari, Rural Development Minister Deepika Pandey Singh and Agriculture Minister Shilpi Neha Tirkey, speaking at a joint press conference, alleged that the BJP was trying to exploit the student movement for political gains.
The ministers claimed that the BJP had brought people from other states to the protest held outside the state Assembly as part of an alleged conspiracy to create disorder and escalate the agitation.
Finance Minister Radhakrishna Kishore said the government was ready to discuss the students' issues in the Assembly on August 10. According to him, instead of participating in a discussion in the House, the opposition BJP chose to move towards the Chief Minister's residence.
Kishore alleged that BJP workers from Bihar, West Bengal and Chhattisgarh were brought in an attempt to make the protest more aggressive. He said that despite the situation, the government and administration maintained restraint. He described the protesters reaching the Assembly gates as a serious issue for the parliamentary system and demanded a high-level inquiry into the entire incident.
Health Minister Dr. Irfan Ansari said that he reached Sadar Hospital late at night without security and met student leader Devendra Nath Mahto, who was sitting on a hunger strike. He claimed that the student leader had also acknowledged that some people were attempting to divert the movement from its original objectives.
Ansari said the government had accepted around 95 percent of the students' demands and that discussions on the remaining issues were still open.
Rural Development Minister Deepika Pandey Singh said the government was saddened if any student was injured during the protest. She said the government wanted to resolve the issue through dialogue with the youth.
She claimed that 152 cases of paper leaks had been reported in the state since 2015, but no one had been punished in any of these cases. According to her, after the government's action, the BJP was now attempting to divert the course of the investigation.
Agriculture Minister Shilpi Neha Tirkey demanded an apology from BJP state president Aditya Sahu over the allegations made against her. She also rejected the allegations made by the BJP regarding Rahul Gandhi. She said the police had attempted to control the situation during the protest in accordance with established rules.
The four Congress ministers said the government was serious about ensuring a fair investigation into matters related to the JPSC and JSSC and improving the examination system. They said the government wanted to find a solution through dialogue and that issues concerning the future of students should not be turned into a political confrontation.
