CJP's Abhijit Dipke speaks to protesting students in Jharkhand, extends support to their demands: Will he go to Ranchi?

The Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) have extended their support to the protesting students in Jharkhand on Sunday (Aug 2). CJP founder Abhijit Dipke and spokesperson Ashutosh Ranka spoke to the student leaders in Ranchi and shared the update on their social media platforms. Dipke said that "CJP stands with all the students in Jharkhand and support their demands." This comes after CJP led a massive protest in New Delhi's Jantar Mantar and forced the ruling BJP government at the Centre to seek the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (Undergraduate) NEET-UG paper leak. Sections in social media have been questioning CJP's silence on the student protest in Jharkhand, with BJP alleging a Congress nexus with the CJP.

There has been no statement so far by the CJP leaders about their plan to join the students in Ranchi. However, protesters said that CJP support have boosted their energy. "The only appeal being made to the government is to listen to the students. Engaging in dialogue is a sign of a healthy democracy, and therefore, we humbly request the government to come forward and hold discussions with us. Whether it is related to the JPSC, JSSC, or the blacklisted company TDL, all examinations conducted in the past must be cancelled immediately. Furthermore, accountability must be established for any irregularities that occurred during those periods. There must be transparency in the entire system," a protestor told ANI.

What's happening in Jharkhand?

Thousands of students have taken to streets since Jul 25 and are protesting against alleged irregularities in various government examination, specifically the Jharkhand Public Service Commission (JPSC) and Jharkhand Staff Selection Commission (JSSC) examinations. The protest has expanded into a statewide campaign demanding accountability, transparent recruitment and education reforms with Ranchi being the epicentre. It was triggered after reports of OMR sheet tampering and paper leaks in the JPSC civil services examination. Student alleged that the exam-conducting agency, TDPL, which had previously been blacklisted by other government bodies like the SSC, was hired to manage the process.

Students in Jharkhand are angry over several other exam related irregularities in the state. They demand answers for 2024 Jharkhand Staff Selection Commission (JSSC) CGL exam paper leak, and subsequent reschedule after High Court's intervention. The students reject CID probe over the matter. Earlier this year, : 159 candidates and 5 racket leaders were arrested after they were caught paying up to ₹15 lakh each to memorize leaked question paper sets in Jharkhand Excise Constable Competitive Examination (JECCE). Moreover, JAC Class 10 Board Exams (2025) Science and Hindi question papers also went viral on social media before/during exams in districts like Koderma and Giridih, forcing cancellations and re-examinations.

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Has the Jharkhand government reacted?

The Jharkhand government formed a Special Investigation Team (SIT) under the State Crime Investigation Department (CID) to probe the JPSC leak. Eleven people have been arrested, while the JPSC chairman has resigned. Students continue to protest despite the government's assurance of action, turning the issue into one of Jharkhand's biggest youth-led movements in recent years. The state government has indefinitely postponed 9 major recruitment examinations to clean up the process.

Also Read: BJP MPs protest in Parliament over Jharkhand paper leak as student agitation swell in state: What exactly happened?

BJP targets Congress and state government

Questioning the state government’s handling of the matter, BJP MP Sanjay Seth said that the state government ordered a CID probe to create an eyewash. “But a CID inquiry, in my view, simply means putting the matter into cold storage. A CBI probe is necessary to establish the truth,” he asserted, urging Rahul Gandhi to visit Ranchi and meet the thousands of young people sitting on protest. Several BJP MPs from Jharkhand also staged a protest in the Parliament premises and asked Congress to break its alliance with JMM in the state. Koderma MP and Women and Child Development Minister Annpurna Devi said: “They speak about the concerns of students in Delhi, but is Jharkhand not a part of the country?"