Rahul Gandhi stuck in New Delhi time zone. Forgets students protest raging in Ranchi

While thousands of students continue to protest in Ranchi over recruitment exam irregularities, Rahul Gandhi chose to highlight the Cockroach Janta Party protest, which was concluded 10 days back. Rahul Gandhi's silence on the agitation in ally-ruled Jharkhand is giving the feel that the Congress leader is still frozen in New Delhi's time zone.

Even as students continue to occupy the streets of Ranchi demanding justice over recruitment exam irregularities, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi chose on Wednesday to revisit a movement that has already run its course.

At his residence at 10 Janpath in New Delhi, the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha held a media interaction with five students who had participated in the now-concluded Jantar Mantar protest against the Centre over NEET-UG question paper leak and alleged irregularities in the education system. The protest had culminated on July 26 after Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan resigned a day earlier, meeting the protesters' principal demand.

However, the national conversation has since shifted to Jharkhand. The political spotlight is now firmly on Ranchi, where thousands of students have been protesting since July 25 against Chief Minister Hemant Soren's government over irregularities in the 14th Jharkhand Public Service Commission (JPSC) examination and the functioning of the Jharkhand Staff Selection Commission (JSSC).

The protesters in Ranchi 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.

Yet, Rahul Gandhi made no mention of the agitation unfolding in a state governed by the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM), where the Congress is a key coalition partner.

Instead, Gandhi devoted his interaction to highlighting what he described as the "courage of students" who protested at New Delhi's Jantar Mantar and the police action in the form of lathi-charge, tear gas and pellet guns they faced.

"These people fought for the Constitution and the education system of India. They didn't attack anyone. They were lathi-charged," Rahul Gandhi said while he was alongside the students on Wednesday.

"It is our duty to protect them. You have all done great work. You don't need to apologise. You haven't done anything wrong," he told the participants while addressing the media.

Rahul Gandhi also took a swipe at the BJP leadership, saying, "These young people dare to stand before India's media. But Home Minister Amit Shah and the prime minister don't dare to stand here."

The students accompanying Gandhi represented different states and had become familiar faces during the Delhi agitation led by Cockroach Janta Party (CJP).

Among them was Rhiya Ahir from Mumbai, whose attempt to stop a police van during the protest had gone viral. Also, present were Nutan Toppo from Jharkhand, who had reportedly been injured by pellet gun fire during the New Delhi protest, Farah Naaz from Uttar Pradesh, and Bharat Banait from Nagpur, who said he had participated in the protest since June, and Muskan, another protester who participated in the CJP-led Jantar Mantar agitation.

The timing of the interaction by Rahul Gandhi makes it seem like the latter has been stuck in New Delhi's time zone itself.

While Gandhi praised student activism against the BJP-led Centre, student protesters in Jharkhand continue to accuse the Soren government of failing to ensure transparency in recruitment examinations. The agitation has intensified in recent days.

Jharkhand Loktantrik Krantikari Morcha (JLKM) leader Devendra Nath Mahto is on a hunger strike for four days in support of the students' demands.

"Our five friends, including two women, went on hunger strike from Tuesday night to press for our demands," JPSC-JSSC Reforms Manch spokesperson Jivan Kumar said, adding that a core committee would soon decide on organising a Tiranga March to widen public support.

Despite the growing protests in Ranchi, Rahul Gandhi refrained from commenting on the allegations against the JMM-Congress government or expressing solidarity with the students protesting there.

The contrast is striking. It's been 10 days since the New Delhi agitation concluded. Rahul Gandhi has seemingly chosen to relive a protest directed at the BJP while remaining silent on a similar student movement unfolding against a government in which his own party shares power.

There is nothing wrong with speaking up for students, however old the agitation may have become. But as the spotlight shifts from New Delhi to Ranchi, the Congress leader's silence on Jharkhand is likely to invite questions over whether outrage depends on who occupies the treasury benches.

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