Students protesting over the alleged irregularities in Jharkhand’s recruitment examinations on Sunday burnt effigies of Chief Minister Hemant Soren, Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi and RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav in Ranchi as their protest entered the 23rd day.
The protesting students accused the JMM-Congress alliance government in the state of failing to take concrete action on their demands. They also announced plans to gherao the chief minister’s residence on August 20 and demanded Soren’s resignation.
The demonstration began on Sunday with a torchlight march from Jaipal Singh Munda Stadium to Albert Ekka Chowk, where the students burnt the three effigies. The protesters said they would continue the agitation until the government addresses concerns over alleged irregularities in recruitment examinations.
Meanwhile, the state government has invited the students for another round of talks on August 17, reported PTI, citing an official.
The students had urged the Congress to withdraw support from the ruling coalition, saying the chief minister was not listening to their concerns.
‘These people are like the dead’: Protester shaves head to ‘mourn’ leaders
In a symbolic protest, one demonstrator even shaved his head and said he was mourning Rahul Gandhi and Hemant Soren. Calling himself their younger brother, Baha Linda, who shaved his head, accused both leaders of failing to support the students.
“I am the younger brother of Rahul Gandhi and Hemant Soren. It is my duty to dedicate my body, mind, and resources to their final rites. Once their cremation is over and the ashes remain, I will be the one who has to immerse them in the Swarnarekha Ghat to fulfil a younger brother’s duty,” he told ANI.
Trending Stories
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
National Handloom Day 2026: From Alia Bhatt to Samantha Ruth Prabhu; Actresses who celebrated India's textile heritage as brides
)
The Royals enter the Doctor Who universe: King Charles and Queen Camilla beam into Commonwealth Games in TARDIS
)
Unitree Robotics targets $9 billion valuation in landmark IPO backed by DeepSeek and Tencent
)
India names 27 sites in Arunachal Pradesh
)
Bharat Bhhagya Viddhaata OTT: When will Kangana Ranaut's film stream online?
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
How many soldiers operate one S-400 battery?
)
Shakib Al Hasan ready to return to Bangladesh—under one condition
)
‘Fake news’: MEA rejects report claiming India sought defence pact with Israel after Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Turkey deal
)
Rockstar to unveil GTA 6 extended look ahead of November launch
)
Russia forms Ukrainian Volunteer Spetsnaz Brigade to fight Ukraine
)
Drug-resistant fungus that hides in hair and enters bloodstream reported in 23 US states
)
Technology transfer deal boosts India's defence manufacturing ambitions
)
Border row erupts in Europe after Ceuta crossings, Spain imposes border controls on Italy
)
Morale plummets on USS Abraham Lincoln: Are US sailors reaching a breaking point? | GRAVITAS
)
'Security can't be bought with Pakistan, Turkey deal': Iran tells Saudi Arabia
)
Baba Vanga's 2026 prophecy: 2 predictions 'already came true', 3 terrifying ones remain. Details inside
)
Colombia’s new president Abelardo de la Espriella vows to ‘defeat narco-terrorists’, signals hardline shift
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
New Friday OTT releases (August 7, 2026): Operation Safed Sagar, Vadhandhi, Main Vaapis Aaunga- 6 movies and TV shows on Netflix, Prime Video and more
)
Squadron Leader Bhawana Kanth scripts history as Indian Air Force gets its first woman ‘Top Gun’ pilot
)
RSS says Gen Z protests reflect genuine distress
)
Trump says Iranian school bombing photos could be AI-generated - 'I don’t think...'
)
IAF officer held for sharing sensitive information in 'honey trap' case, booked under Official Secrets Act
)
Stray Kids under scrutiny? Fans react to Grammy submission silence after BTS boycott
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
Why the Su-30MKI doesn't need external fuel tanks to fly vast distances
)
Jugal Hansraj reunites with Shekhar Kapur after 40 years for Masoom: The Next Generation
)
New speed limits, automatic challans: Big traffic change coming to Delhi-Meerut Expressway. All you need to know
)
India officially names 27 places in Arunachal to counter China's renaming claims
)
Trump calls White House ballroom ruling a 'national disgrace' as court says Congress approval needed
)
US sanctions Iran’s crypto network after Strait of Hormuz attacks, offers $15m bounty for intel on IRGC finance
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
Why the Su-30MKI is one of the heaviest fighters ever built
)
Uttarakhand young innovator builds India's own flying vehicle, conducts first test flight: WATCH
)
Chilling video shows students take cover as teen opens fire at Thai school
)
Reese Witherspoon's father hospitalised after poolside incident in Nashville: Report
“You cannot expect anything from the dead. These people are like the dead. They only develop their own families; they are trapped in dynastic politics. They garner votes from Jharkhand but develop only their own families, so one cannot expect much from the dead… I shaved my head. I am observing mourning for my elder brothers Rahul and Hemant Ji,” he added.
‘Rahul Gandhi raising student issues selectively for political benefit’
Another protester accused Rahul Gandhi of raising student issues selectively for his own political benefit.
“When the NEET issue arose in Delhi, Rahul Gandhi took the stage and spoke very vocally about it. This implies that if you aren’t speaking up here, then you were merely using our future and the students’ plight to further your own political interests—essentially warming your seat of power at our expense,” he said.
“The government needs to realise that students are becoming increasingly agitated; this is our right, and we will move heaven and earth—we will leave no stone unturned—to secure what is rightfully ours… Our only request to the government is to listen to our demands,” the protester added.
Students demand revocation of whistleblower’s suspension
The JPSC-JSSC Reforms Manch, which is spearheading the agitation, has called for the cancellation of the 14th JPSC examination and a CBI probe into all recruitment examinations.
The students also want the findings of the investigation to be made public and action to be taken against those found responsible for alleged irregularities.
They are also demanding revocation of the suspension of finance department section officer Santosh Kumar Mastana and withdrawal of cases filed against him, as he was the ‘whistleblower’.
The protesters have said they will not end the agitation until examinations in which irregularities have been alleged are cancelled and an independent investigation is ordered into the recruitment process.
The protesters have appealed to students from across Jharkhand to reach Ranchi for the August 20 gherao.
