Rahul Gandhi Hits Out at Force Against Jharkhand Student Protesters

Ranchi, August 10, 2026 The use of force against protesting students in Jharkhand has triggered political criticism, with Congress leader Rahul Gandhi stressing that peaceful protest must be respected and that dialogue should be the preferred route to resolve student grievances. Gandhi’s remarks come as demonstrations over alleged irregularities in recruitment examinations entered their 17th day, with protesters demanding reforms in the Jharkhand Public Service Commission (JPSC) and Jharkhand Staff Selection Commission (JSSC). The Congress is a junior ally of Chief Minister Hemant Soren’s Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) in the state. “The use of force against students protesting in Jharkhand is wrong. Students have a right to peaceful protest, and only dialogue can yield solutions,” Gandhi said in a post on X. “The Jharkhand government must continue to hear these students out and resolve their issues immediately,” he said. Meanwhile, police used water cannons, tear gas shells and lathi-charge after job aspirants breached barricades while marching towards the Jharkhand Assembly. The march began outside the old Assembly building at around 10:30 am and coincided with Chief Minister Hemant Soren’s 51st birthday. JLKM leader Devendra Nath Mahto, who has been on a nine-day hunger strike over the issue, joined the march in an ambulance while carrying a portrait of former chief minister Shibu Soren. Objecting to the barbed-wire barricades installed along the route, Mahto said, “The government is hell-bent on suppressing our voice. We will not hold any talks now," he said. Despite several rounds of discussions between the government and the protesters, the deadlock has continued. The demonstrators said the government had agreed to cancel only three of the 13 examinations they wanted scrapped. Protester Sanjay Mahto, who was injured during the police lathi-charge, told PTI, “My head and legs are hurting, and my head is bleeding," protester Sanjay Mahto, who was injured in a police lathi-charge, told news agency PTI. Gandhi’s criticism also assumes significance amid the Opposition’s demand for Home Minister Amit Shah to address Parliament over alleged police action against student protesters in Delhi and Bihar. In his The Hindu column titled ‘Either Culpable or Incompetent’, Gandhi questioned the absence of an inquiry or statement over the July 20 Parliament march and said, “They were attacked with tear gas shells, beaten with nail-studded lathis and shot with pellet guns.” With the Jharkhand protests continuing, the dispute remains centred on recruitment exam reforms and the protesters’ demand for their grievances to be addressed through meaningful dialogue rather than force.