'No force used': Cong defends J'khand govt amid youth stir

Congress on Wednesday defended the Jharkhand government’s handling of the students’ agitation over alleged examination irregularities, claiming that no force was used against protesting students and accusing the BJP of attempting to divert the issue.The Congress ministers said the state government had taken steps to check examination paper leaks even before the students took to the streets. They alleged that the BJP, instead of supporting an investigation by the Jharkhand CID, was demanding a CBI probe to “shield the exam mafia”, news agency PTI reports."To shield 'exam mafia', BJP wants probe into paper leaks by its 'tool' CBI instead of Jharkhand CID."The Congress leaders also accused the BJP of adopting a different approach when it was in power in Jharkhand, alleging that the previous BJP government had “crushed the voice of youth” during protests.Cong claims 152 paper leaks since 2015 under BJPCiting party data, the ministers claimed that 152 paper leaks had been reported across the country since 2015 under BJP rule, but the CBI had investigated only 17 of these cases and there had been no convictions.The Congress ministers further alleged that the BJP's Jharkhand leadership was acting at the Centre's behest to disrupt the students' agitation. They claimed that gheraoing the state assembly was not part of the protesters' original agenda and alleged that the BJP brought people from other states to disrupt the students' “peaceful” protest in Ranchi on August 10.What we knowOn Monday, students gathered near the Jharkhand Vidhan Sabha as part of a march and formed a human chain seeking action on their demands.The protests intensified after police allegedly used water cannons and force to control the crowd as the protesters moved towards the Assembly. The students have been protesting over alleged irregularities in examinations conducted by the Jharkhand Public Service Commission (JPSC) and Jharkhand Staff Selection Commission (JSSC).They are demanding cancellation of the JSSC-CGL examination, a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into the alleged irregularities and comprehensive reforms in the recruitment process.Get the latest India News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.