Tejasvi Surya hits out at Rahul Gandhi over Jharkhand protest lathi charge

BJP's Tejasvi Surya slammed Rahul Gandhi's 'double standards' on student protests. He questioned Gandhi's criticism of Delhi police action while a Congress-allied government in Jharkhand lathi-charged JPSC-JSSC aspirants protesting exam irregularities.

Surya questions Rahul Gandhi's 'double standards'

BJP MP Tejasvi Surya on Monday hit out at Congress MP Rahul Gandhi over the police action against student protesters in Jharkhand, accusing the coalition state government of using force against the same kind of youth movement that Gandhi was sympathising with in Delhi.

Surya alleged that the Hemant Soren-led government in Jharkhand responded to the students' protest with force as the assembly siege began "I strongly condemn the lathi charge on students protesting in Jharkhand. For the past several years, the youth there have been raising their voices against the mismanagement in JPSC in Jharkhand... As soon as the assembly siege began, the government, supported by Rahul Gandhi, unleashed a brutal lathi charge on the youth," Surya told ANI.

His remarks came after thousands of student protesters clashed with police in Ranchi on Monday, as their march towards the Jharkhand Assembly, demanding action on the exam row, entered its 17th day. Protesters breached several police barricades near the new Assembly complex, prompting police to use water cannons and baton charges to disperse the crowd.

Drawing a direct comparison with Gandhi's ongoing campaign in Parliament demanding accountability from Union Home Minister Amit Shah over police action against students in Delhi on July 20, Surya questioned the Congress leader's consistency. "Here, Rahul Gandhi is demanding answers from the central government by obstructing the House, and there, the government he supports is carrying out a lathi charge on the youth. I want to ask Rahul Gandhi, is your demand one-sided? Don't the students of Jharkhand deserve justice?" he said.

Details of Jharkhand Student Protests

This comes after JPSC-JSSC aspirants remained defiant after police resorted to a lathi charge for the third time on Monday evening to disperse students protesting outside the Jharkhand Assembly in Ranchi. Demonstrators vowed to continue their agitation over alleged irregularities in recruitment examinations and demanded a CBI probe.

The latest police action unfolded hours after a fresh clash between student protesters and police during the 'Vidhan Sabha Gherao' march. Authorities deployed tear gas shells, water cannons, and lathi charges as a large number of aspirants attempted to move toward the Assembly.

The protest was organised by the JPSC-JSSC Reform Manch to protest examinations conducted by the Jharkhand Public Service Commission (JPSC) and Jharkhand Staff Selection Commission (JSSC).

Rahul Gandhi Responds, Condemns Violence

Congress leader and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, however, condemned violence against peacefully protesting students and said their grievances should be resolved through dialogue.

In a post on X, Gandhi said, "The use of force against students protesting in Jharkhand is wrong. Students have a right to peaceful protest, and only dialogue can yield solutions." "The Jharkhand government must continue to hear these students out and resolve their issues immediately," he added.

Speaking to the media, Gandhi said, "My message is clear for the students of Jharkhand. We condemn any violence against peacefully protesting students. It does not matter where it is happening, we condemn it, we are against it, we do not recommend it, we do not support it. We are very clear, there is no confusion in our mind." (ANI)

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