Amid student protests, Hemant Soren appeals for dialogue: Solution will emerge through talks

THE JHARKHAND STORY NETWORK

Ranchi, August 10: Amid escalating student protests over alleged irregularities in recruitment examinations, Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren on Monday appealed to students to maintain peace and resolve their grievances through dialogue, asserting that his government was treating their demands with “seriousness and sensitivity”.

In a social media post issued amid the day-long student agitation, Soren said raising one’s voice over genuine demands was a democratic right of students and that it was the government’s responsibility to listen to them and address their concerns.

The Chief Minister said senior ministers of his government had remained in continuous dialogue with student representatives and assured that serious action would be taken on their demands.

Soren said the government had taken action against those found responsible for irregularities over the past few days, asserting that no one would be spared regardless of their position.

He said the government’s objective was not merely to address the immediate controversy but also to correct systemic shortcomings in the recruitment examination process so that students do not face similar problems in the future.

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According to Soren, the government wants to make the examination system more transparent, technology-driven, secure and accountable.

He also stressed that student participation would be crucial in bringing about such reforms.

CM Thanks Police and Administrative Officials

The Chief Minister thanked administrative and police officials and personnel for handling Monday’s student protest with restraint, sensitivity and a sense of responsibility.

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His remarks came on a day when thousands of students marched towards the Jharkhand Assembly, breached multiple layers of barricading and reached the vicinity of Assembly Gate No. 1. Police used water cannons, tear gas and lathi-charge during attempts to prevent the protesters from advancing further.

Soren’s appeal for restraint and dialogue came against the backdrop of the tense situation on the streets of Ranchi.

Opposition Attempting to ‘Vitiate’ Atmosphere: Soren

The Chief Minister also accused opposition parties of attempting to politicise the student agitation.

He alleged that while the protest itself was peaceful, certain opposition leaders and individuals were trying to vitiate the atmosphere and mislead students for political gains.

Soren appealed to the protesting students not to be influenced by what he described as political narratives surrounding their agitation.

Describing the students as the future of Jharkhand, he said the government had no intention of ignoring their voices and reiterated that listening to their grievances and resolving them was its responsibility.

‘Dialogue and Trust Can Resolve the Issue’

Towards the end of his message, Soren reiterated that the current impasse should be resolved through dialogue and mutual trust.

He appealed to both the students and the government to work together to find a solution to the ongoing dispute.

The Chief Minister’s statement came amid heightened tensions over the recruitment examination controversy, with students demanding action over alleged irregularities and paper leaks and seeking a CBI probe into the entire matter.

The political temperature also rose sharply on Monday, with the BJP announcing a statewide Jharkhand Bandh for August 11 in support of the student agitation and demanding a CBI investigation into recruitment examinations.

Meanwhile, the state CID arrested former JPSC chairman L. Khiangte in connection with alleged irregularities in the recruitment examination process, adding another significant development to an already escalating controversy.

Two companies of the Rapid Action Force (RAF) have also arrived in Ranchi amid the tense situation, although deployment orders had not been issued at the time of reporting.