Devendra Nath Mahto Warns Government Against Filing FIRs on Innocent Students
Key Points:
- Bharti Vyavastha Sudhar Yatra receives grand welcome at Gandhi Maidan, Hazaribagh
- Student leaders say movement has reached a decisive turning point
- Devendra Nath Mahto demands government withdraw FIRs against students
HAZARIBAGH – Students gave a rousing welcome at Gandhi Maidan on Wednesday as the Bharti Vyavastha Sudhar Yatra, or Recruitment System Reform March, reached Hazaribagh. Student leaders associated with the movement addressed the gathering during the hour-long programme. They said the movement has now reached a decisive turning point, and that students no longer need to step back.
The leaders alleged that the government has been involved in selling seats during several examinations, calling the practice entirely wrong. Devendra Nath Mahto, addressing the gathering, warned the government to stop filing FIRs against innocent students. He said if any FIR must be registered, it should be filed against him instead.
Mahto said the government should not try to intimidate or threaten students. He alleged that a deeply wrong practice is underway in Jharkhand, and that the government is attempting to crush a constitutional movement. He said students are not going to trust any assurances this time and instead want concrete results.
Mahto further said this time the movement must lead to solid steps being taken. He described the ongoing effort not merely as a yatra, but as a resolve.
The recruitment reform agitation has continued to gather momentum across the state in recent weeks, following the cancellation of the JSSC CGL exam after a 24-day student protest. The Jharkhand High Court has since stayed the cancellation of the JPSC and JSSC exams, while students have separately approached the court against the cancellation of recruitment exams. Leaders of the opposition have also weighed in on the issue, with the Leader of Opposition questioning the CID probe into the exam cancellations and reiterating a demand for a CBI inquiry.
