Same protest, different playbook: How Jharkhand's 'code' is different from Delhi

Two student protests, two states and two very different approaches. While the Jantar Mantar protest was overshadowed by viral videos of students allegedly abusing Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP, the youth in Jharkhand seem to have taken a different approach.Over the past two weeks, students have been protesting in Jharkhand over irregularities in government exams"This is not Jantar Mantar, don't raise azaadi slogans," a youth is heard urging fellow student protesters in Jharkhand in a viral video. The message has captured the sharp difference between the two student-led movements. While the Gen Z stir at Delhi's Jantar Mantar was overshadowed by videos of students, some not even 18, using abusive language and the mingling of political leaders, the youth in Jharkhand have taken a different route - no political slogans, no personal attacks and certainly no abusive language.Over the past two weeks, hundreds of youngsters have gathered in the capital, Ranchi, to protest against malpractices in government exams. At the heart of the protest are alleged irregularities in the JPSC recruitment process. With the agitation swelling by the day, the Hemant Soren government opened a dialogue with the students on Thursday. Such 'code of conduct' posters have sprung up around the Ranchi protest site HOW JHARKHAND STUDENT PROTESTS ARE DIFFERENTThe protesters in Ranchi, however, are keen on keeping the focus on their core demands and preventing the stir from being hijacked by political forces. In fact, several images have gone viral on social media of a 'code of conduct' being pasted at multiple locations around the protest site at Jaipal Singh Munda Stadium.It is, however, not known whether the protest organisers put up the guidelines. It urges the protesting youth to avoid raising political slogans and making religious or caste-based statements. It also asks the students to desist from using abusive or offensive language or making any allegations against political leaders from the stage. "Keep your statements focused only on the core objectives of the movement. Our struggle is for systemic reform," the so-called code of conduct further says.A video of a young protester urging fellow students not to raise abusive slogans has also emerged on social media. "This is not Jantar Mantar," he says, while reminding the youth that a lot of effort has gone into organising the movement. "Hum log bohut mehnaat kar rahe hai (We have put in a lot of effort). No one will support anyone raising azaadi or religious or political slogans," the youth further says.It suggests that the organisers of the movement are determined to keep the protest issue-driven and prevent it from turning into a platform for political mudslinging or abuses.Two student protests. Two very different approaches.At Jantar Mantar, we saw a protest where abusive slogans against political leaders dominated headlines, forcing the police to step in.Now look at the students’ movement in Jharkhand. The organizers have laid down a clear— Yatharth Mishra | (@YatharthMishra_) August 6, 2026ABUSIVE SLOGANS RAISED AT JANTAR MANTARThe approach is a striking contrast to the scenes at Delhi's Jantar Mantar, where videos of students, some minors, abusing Prime Minister Narendra Modi and even his late mother went viral. The slogans against the BJP and the government ranged from everyday slang to bawdy jokes.The slogans not only drew widespread condemnation, but also played a part in shifting the focus away from the demands towards the conduct of the Gen Z. Lok Sabha MP Kangana Ranaut went so far as to call Gen Z "generation gutter".An FIR was also registered against a 15-year-old protester for allegedly using abusive language against PM Modi during the Jantar Mantar protest. It was, however, later withdrawn after the Prime Minister, in an Instagram video, said he had forgiven the students who used abusive language against him during the protests."Some youngsters hurled crude abuses... I was personally abused, and even my late mother was subjected to vile insults," PM Modi said in his late-night video."Abuses never solve anything. Punishing them, dragging them through court proceedings, or harassing them - none of this will change the situation. I wish to forgive them," the Prime Minister further said.In Ranchi, the organisers appear keen to avoid a similar situation.GEN Z VS SENIOR STUDENTSMoreover, one needs to look at the demographic profile of the two protests.The Jantar Mantar protest was basically against the paper leak of the NEET-UG exam - a medical entrance exam taken after Class 12 boards. Thus, a majority of the protesters were Gen Z students, even though the agitation drew people from all strata of society.On the other hand, the ongoing protest in Jharkhand mostly involves senior students aged over 25. This maturity is perhaps being reflected in the agitation in Ranchi.At one point, the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) protest at Jantar Mantar spiralled out of control. The Delhi Police has claimed that nearly 3,000 individuals with criminal backgrounds infiltrated the protests and were involved in the July 20 violence.So far, the agitation in Jharkhand has been peaceful. Its contrast with the controversy surrounding the Jantar Mantar protest is already clear.- EndsPublished By: Abhishek DePublished On: Aug 7, 2026 16:23 IST