Urges Congress to withdraw support from Jharkhand Govt
Pioneer News Service
Ranchi
Former Jharkhand Chief Minister and former Odisha Governor Raghubar Das on Saturday launched a sharp attack on the Congress and other Opposition parties, accusing them of maintaining “selective silence” over alleged irregularities in recruitment examinations conducted in Jharkhand while protesting alleged discrepancies in the NEET examination.
Addressing a press conference at the BJP state headquarters in Ranchi, Das questioned Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s silence on the alleged corruption in the Jharkhand Public Service Commission (JPSC) and Jharkhand Staff Selection Commission (JSSC) examinations. He said if the Congress was genuinely concerned about students’ welfare, it should withdraw support from the JMM-led state government.
Referring to the controversy surrounding the 14th JPSC Preliminary Examination, Das alleged that a private agency blacklisted in neighbouring Uttar Pradesh and later by the JSSC in 2025 had been entrusted with key responsibilities, ranging from one-time registration to final result processing. He demanded a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into the matter as well as all previous allegations of irregularities in recruitment examinations in the state.
The BJP leader claimed Jharkhand had witnessed repeated paper leaks and examination irregularities, alleging that as many as nine competitive examinations had been postponed. He also cited alleged issues in admit card generation and question papers, saying such lapses had severely affected the state’s youth.
Das demanded that the Jharkhand government provide Rs 1 crore as compensation to the families of each of the 19 candidates who allegedly died during the physical endurance test for the excise constable recruitment examination. He also urged Rahul Gandhi to visit Jharkhand, pay tribute to the deceased candidates and apologise to the state’s youth.
Referring to the Centre’s recent anti-paper leak legislation, Das said the law provides for stringent punishment, including imprisonment of up to 10 years and penalties of up to Rs 10 crore, for those involved in examination malpractices. He appealed to students to avoid political provocation and continue pursuing their education and careers through democratic and peaceful means.
State BJP media in-charge Yogendra Pratap Singh and party spokesperson Abhay Singh were also present at the press conference.
