CM Hemant Soren targets Opposition over student protests as Jharkhand Assembly ends amid uproar
THE JHARKHAND STORY NETWORK Ranchi, August 11: The Monsoon Session of the Jharkhand Assembly ended on a stormy note on Tuesday, with…
THE JHARKHAND STORY NETWORK
Ranchi, August 11: The Monsoon Session of the Jharkhand Assembly ended on a stormy note on Tuesday, with Chief Minister Hemant Soren launching a sharp political attack on the Opposition over the ongoing student protests and the alleged lathi-charge on protesters. The House witnessed repeated disruptions, slogan-shouting and demonstrations before Speaker Ravindra Nath Mahto adjourned the proceedings sine die.
The confrontation over the student issue once again brought the ruling JMM-led alliance and the BJP-led Opposition face to face, highlighting the growing political friction surrounding recruitment examinations and the government’s handling of student protests.
BJP, ruling alliance MLAs clash in Assembly Well
The day’s proceedings got off to a chaotic start, with the House barely functioning for a few minutes. As MLA Pradeep Yadav raised the issue of the student protests, BJP legislators entered the Well of the House carrying posters and began raising slogans.
Yadav said the students had been protesting peacefully and accused the Opposition of attempting to shield anti-social elements. His remarks triggered a sharp reaction from BJP members, following which MLAs from the ruling coalition also entered the Well.
Members from both sides engaged in vociferous slogan-shouting, effectively paralysing the proceedings. Despite repeated appeals from the Speaker to return to their seats, the legislators continued their protests, forcing him to adjourn the House until noon.
Hemant Soren accuses Opposition of using students for politics
When the House resumed, the Opposition continued to demand an explanation from the government over the alleged lathi-charge on students.
Responding to the Opposition’s attack, Chief Minister Hemant Soren accused it of attempting to turn the student movement into a political campaign. He described the Opposition as “parasites” and alleged that it had lost its own political strength and was now trying to project itself by taking shelter behind students.
Taking a sarcastic swipe at the Opposition’s protest inside the Assembly, Soren said that playing a been before a buffalo would have no effect and asserted that his government would continue with its work.
The Chief Minister further alleged that Opposition parties were misleading the public by changing their political posture and using students as a cover. He accused them of provoking students and creating hurdles in the state’s development.
Recruitment exams become major political flashpoint
The controversy over JPSC, JSSC and other recruitment examinations remained at the centre of the political confrontation.
Soren said the government was ready to investigate TDPL-linked examinations and claimed that an inquiry was already underway. He alleged that the Lucknow-based company had links with individuals in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar and had been involved in attempts to deceive Jharkhand’s youth.
The Chief Minister said the government had already decided to cancel certain examinations and order investigations wherever irregularities were suspected. He maintained that the decisions were being taken in the larger interest of students and job aspirants.
Soren also said the government was consulting institutions such as IITs, IIMs and XLRI to bring structural improvements to the examination system and prevent such controversies in the future.
CM takes direct aim at BJP, RSS
Soren’s speech also carried a broader political message aimed at the BJP and the RSS.
Without naming specific individuals, he alleged that those who had not hoisted the Tricolour for decades were now using the national flag to mislead people politically. He accused the Opposition of functioning as a “clique of traders” and alleged that money power was being used to influence democracy.
The Chief Minister also accused the Opposition of attempting to exploit constitutional institutions and criticised sections of the media, calling them a “lapdog media”.
At the same time, Soren defended the administration and police response to the student protests, praising what he described as the patience and restraint shown by the authorities while dealing with the situation.
Soren uses poetry to attack Opposition
Towards the end of his address, Soren recited poet Bhukhnath Pandey’s satirical poem Giroh in the Assembly.
Using the poem as a political metaphor, the Chief Minister took another swipe at the Opposition, referring to what he portrayed as a decline in money, character, arrogance, shamelessness and insensitivity.
The Opposition, meanwhile, remained firm in its demand for accountability over the action against protesting students. Continuous slogan-shouting and disruptions prevented normal legislative business from being conducted.
Stormy session ends amid political confrontation
The repeated clashes over student protests, recruitment examinations and the government’s handling of the agitation underscored the widening political divide between the ruling alliance and the Opposition in Jharkhand.
With the House failing to return to normal despite repeated appeals from the Speaker, Ravindra Nath Mahto eventually adjourned the Assembly sine die, bringing the Monsoon Session to an acrimonious end.
