‘Why not Jharkhand?’ Dilip Ghosh targets Rahul Gandhi over Delhi dharna
KOLKATA: BJP leader Dilip Ghosh on Saturday, August 22, questioned Rahul Gandhi's decision to stage a dharna at a Delhi police station over the alleged pellet injuries suffered by a youth, asking why the Congress leader was not in Jharkhand where students have been protesting over recruitment exams.
Gandhi staged a nearly six-hour dharna outside the Parliament Street police station on Friday, August 21, demanding registration of an FIR in connection with injuries suffered by 19-year-old Sahil Lochab during a July 20 protest.
The police later registered the complaint, following which Gandhi ended his protest.
Ghosh criticised Gandhi's protest and said the Congress leader should instead have visited Jharkhand, where students have been protesting against the cancellation of recruitment examinations.
"Rahul Gandhi is not going where he should," Ghosh told reporters.
"Students are protesting in Jharkhand, and there is a Congress-backed government there. The court has termed the government's decision (to cancel exams) wrong. Now he has no work and is sitting there (in Delhi) for a photo-op," he said.
The Jharkhand government had cancelled 22 recruitment examinations and ordered a probe into 23 others following a 26-day protest over alleged irregularities in recruitment exams.
The decision led to another protest by candidates who had cleared the examinations and feared losing their jobs.
Several candidates approached the Jharkhand High Court challenging the government's decision. The court subsequently stayed a number of government notifications cancelling recruitment examinations.
The BJP has backed the protesting candidates and accused Rahul Gandhi of adopting a "duplicitous attitude" on issues concerning students.
The ruling JMM, however, accused the BJP of using the students' agitation for political purposes.
The dispute over the recruitment examinations continues, with students seeking clarity on their future and the state government facing pressure over its decision to cancel the exams.
(With inputs from PTI)
