Rahul Gandhi dials student protesters in Ranchi, listens to their demands

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Thursday spoke to student protesters in Ranchi who have been agitating against alleged irregularities in Jharkhand recruitment examinations, with protesters saying he listened to their demands during a brief phone conversation. According to the protesters, Gandhi contacted them through a regular phone call and was informed about the situation on the ground and the demands being raised by the students.The conversation took place on the 13th day of the ongoing protest at Jaipal Singh Munda Stadium in Ranchi. Ravindra Paswan, who is leading the agitation, said the call lasted around three minutes.He discussed both his own demands and those of the other protesters with the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha. The interaction was facilitated by Ranchi Metropolitan Congress president Kumar Raja.Paswan said Gandhi assured the students that their concerns would be raised and that efforts would be made to address them. He also told Gandhi that if the Jharkhand government was not responding to the students’ demands, the Congress should put pressure on its ally.Paswan further said, "If the government does not listen to you, then you should break your alliance with them". The call comes amid continuing protests in Ranchi, where thousands of students have been demonstrating since July 25 against alleged irregularities in the 14th Jharkhand Public Service Commission (JPSC) examination and the functioning of the Jharkhand Staff Selection Commission (JSSC).The protesters are demanding cancellation of the examination, structural reforms in both commissions and an independent probe by either the CBI or a panel of retired High Court judges from outside the state.There was no immediate statement from Rahul Gandhi or the Congress on the conversation.The phone call came a day after the Congress MP from Rae Bareli, faced criticism for highlighting a student protest in New Delhi which had already concluded while not publicly commenting on the ongoing agitation in Ranchi.On Wednesday, he held an interaction at his New Delhi residence with students who had participated in the Jantar Mantar protest against alleged NEET-UG paper leak irregularities.That protest had ended on July 26 after Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan resigned.Critics have questioned why Gandhi did not mention the Ranchi agitation despite Jharkhand being governed by the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) with Congress as a coalition partner.13TH DAY OF RANCHI PROTESTSMeanwhile, the Ranchi protest has continued to intensify. JLKM leader Devendra Nath Mahto is on a hunger strike in support of the students, while members of the JPSC-JSSC Reforms Manch have also begun fasting to press their demands.Protest leaders organised a Tiranga March to broaden public support.The agitation has also received support from the Cockroach Janata Party, which had earlier led a nationwide movement over examination irregularities. Its leaders have publicly backed the Jharkhand students and said they stand with their demands.With the protest nearing the end of its second week, students are continuing to seek political support and a formal response from the state government.- EndsPublished By: Prateek ChakrabortyPublished On: Aug 6, 2026 22:18 IST