'Tried Gandhi's Way, Will Become Bhagat Singh Now': Jharkhand Protesters Harden Stand, Set Sep 1 Deadline

The JPSC-JSSC Reform Manch, the group leading the ongoing protest against alleged irregularities in Jharkhand's recruitment examinations, issued a pointed warning on Sunday. "Gandhi ji ke raaste chalke dekh liya, ab Bhagat Singh bante hain (We tried Gandhi's path, now we'll become Bhagat Singh)," the group posted on X (formerly Twitter). The remark comes as the protest, which has already seen a hunger strike and a Tiranga Yatra, plans to burn effigies of Chief Minister Hemant Soren and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, and gherao Soren's residence.

Earlier, student leader Ravindra Paswan said, "We are changing the course of our movement. We have had enough of Gandhian methods and peaceful protests. They simply aren't listening. We are now going to adopt the path of Bhagat Singh. We are prepared to face bullets, even if the government shoots us in the chest, for this cause. We will continue our agitation until our demands are met. We are issuing an ultimatum to the government: meet our demands by the 18th. If the demands are not fulfilled, lakhs of students and youths from Jharkhand will lay siege to the Chief Minister's residence on the 20th."

The protesters would burn effigies of the chief minister and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi across all 24 districts of the state on Sunday. They alleged that the ruling JMM-Congress alliance "failed to take concrete action" on their demands.

They also asked Congress MP Rahul Gandhi to withdraw Congress' support to the JMM-led government in Jharkhand. They have announced that they would gherao Chief Minister Hemant Soren's residence in Ranchi on August 20, demanding his resignation.

"We will gherao the chief minister's residence on August 20. We seek his resignation as both the JMM and the Congress are playing politics with us. We also demand that Rahul Gandhi withdraw support from the JMM-led coalition if the CM is not listening to him," JPSC-JSSC Reforms Manch leader Ravindra Paswan said.

The protesters took out a 'Tiranga Yatra' in Ranchi on Saturday to mark the country's 80th Independence Day and to press their demand for greater transparency and reforms in the recruitment examination system. They marched from the Jaipal Singh Munda Stadium, the site of the ongoing agitation, to Albert Ekka Chowk in Ranchi. Carrying the national flags, the protesters raised slogans such as 'Bharat Mata Ki Jai' and 'Vande Mataram'.