Minister of State for Defence Sanjay Seth on Wednesday launched a sharp attack on Congress and Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi over the ongoing student agitation in Jharkhand, accusing Gandhi of selectively ignoring the protests while running his 'Chhatron Ki Goonj' outreach programme. Seth alleged that students have sustained injuries in police cane charges and that Gandhi has yet to visit the state.

Seth's Charges Against Rahul Gandhi

Speaking to reporters outside Parliament House in New Delhi, Seth said: Rahul Gandhi has still not visited Jharkhand, even after students sustaining injuries due to cane charge. He is the biggest factory of lies in the country. He picks and chooses; he is unable to hear the 'Jharkhand Ki Goonj.'

Seth attributed Gandhi's silence to the Congress being a coalition partner in the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM)-led state government under Chief Minister Hemant Soren, arguing that political compulsion was preventing the opposition leader from speaking out.

Allegations of Intimidation Against Protesting Students

Seth made pointed allegations about the state administration's conduct overnight. He claimed that Deputy Commissioner of Ranchi Manjunath Bhajantri and Senior Superintendent of Police of Ranchi Rakesh Ranjan visited the protest site at 1 am to pressure students to disperse, and that electricity to the area was cut off at the same time. He further alleged that when students arranged a generator using their own funds the following morning, police removed that too.

Seth described this as a 'dictatorial attitude' on the part of the Jharkhand government, adding that the students remain undeterred. 'They cannot be threatened by anyone,' he said.

The Alleged Scam at the Centre of the Agitation

At the heart of the student protests are alleged irregularities in examinations conducted by the Jharkhand Public Service Commission (JPSC) and the Jharkhand Staff Selection Commission (JSSC). Seth alleged that a scam of around ₹400 crore has taken place and questioned why the state government has not sought a CBI probe. He alleged that individuals connected to Chief Minister Hemant Soren and the Congress are implicated, and that a federal investigation could lead to arrests of senior JMM and Congress leaders.

BJP MP Nishikant Dubey Joins the Attack

BJP Member of Parliament Nishikant Dubey also addressed reporters at the Parliament complex, targeting both Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi. He alleged that the conduct of Ranchi's district administration — including the DC, SP, DGP, and Chief Secretary — toward protesting students amounted to tyranny. 'I have never seen such tyranny,' Dubey said.

Dubey went further, warning that if Congress does not withdraw support from the JMM government and stand with the students, it would 'appear as if they work on the agenda of George Soros, and Rahul Gandhi and Congress are present wherever anti-national forces and communal tension exist in the country.' He also demanded that Congress publicly distance itself from the Jharkhand administration's handling of the protests.

What Happens Next

The JPSC-JSSC aspirants' agitation in Jharkhand continues, with students demanding a CBI inquiry into the alleged exam irregularities. The BJP's escalating pressure in Parliament signals that the issue is likely to intensify as a political flashpoint ahead of future electoral cycles in the state. Whether Congress publicly responds to calls for a CBI probe — or distances itself from the Soren government's handling of the protests — will be closely watched in the coming days.