Rahul Gandhi Condemns Police Action Against Jharkhand Students as BJP Intensifies Attack on Soren Government

Rahul Gandhi, the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, condemned the police action against protesting students. Meanwhile, on Monday, the BJP intensified its attack on the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha-Congress government.

Babulal Marandi, a senior BJP leader and Leader of the Opposition in the Jharkhand Assembly, challenged the Congress leadership to stop supporting the Hemant Soren government if it was sincere about the students’ demands.

“My message to Jharkhand students is very clear. We condemn any violence against peacefully protesting students,” Rahul Gandhi said at a press conference in Delhi.

“It does not matter where it is happening; we are against it, and we do not support it. There is no confusion in our minds. As long as the protests are peaceful, we are against attacking them with violence,” he added.

In a post on X, Gandhi said that students had the right to peaceful protest and that it was wrong to use force against students protesting in Jharkhand.

BJP demands Soren’s resignation

In support of the students, BJP Leader Babulal Marandi and BJP Jharkhand State President Aditya Sahu organised a demonstration in Ranchi. The BJP called for Soren’s resignation and demanded that the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) investigate alleged irregularities in recruitment examinations.

According to Marandi, the students had been demonstrating for more than 17 days. Despite several demonstrators falling ill, he alleged that the government had continued to act as a “spectator.”

Marandi Condemns Lathi-Charge

Marandi described the lathi-charge on the students as “an act of cruelty and barbarism” and said,

“It is an injustice done to the lakhs of poor, Dalit, tribal, rural, and hardworking youth of Jharkhand who dream of securing employment after years of struggle.”

Sahu said the way BJP leaders were allegedly detained and taken into custody was “not a good sign for democracy.”

He said Congress and Rahul Gandhi should either put pressure on Soren to meet the students’ demands or stop supporting his government. He also accused the state government of using force against the protesting students.