Congress leader and Leader of Opposition of Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi has urged Jharkhand Chief Minister (CM) Hemant Soren to personally meet students protesting against the alleged irregularities in state recruitment examinations, saying their demands are legitimate and the government must act to resolve their remaining concerns.In a letter to Soren dated August 14, Gandhi said the Congress supported the students’ right to peaceful protest and asked the CM to meet their representatives as the agitation in Ranchi continues.“Their protest has been peaceful, and their demands are legitimate,” Gandhi said, appreciating that the Jharkhand government had begun a dialogue with the protesters through a committee constituted by Soren.Gandhi, however, pointed out that the protests were continuing and some students remained on an indefinite hunger strike despite several rounds of talks.“I am writing to suggest that you personally meet with representatives of the protesting students. This will help reinforce the government’s commitment to resolve their remaining concerns,” he said.The students have been protesting in Ranchi over alleged irregularities in recruitment examinations conducted by the Jharkhand Public Service Commission (JPSC) and Jharkhand Staff Selection Commission (JSSC). Thousands of aspirants have joined the agitation, demanding action over alleged irregularities in examinations, including the 14th JPSC examination, and a CBI probe. The agitation has continued for weeks, with several students also observing an indefinite hunger strike.The protest intensified on August 10 when thousands of aspirants marched towards the Jharkhand Assembly. Police used tear gas, water cannons and batons to disperse protesters after barricades were breached.Against this backdrop, Gandhi said the Jharkhand protests were part of a wider crisis facing students and job aspirants across the country.“The Congress party believes that the right to peaceful protest as enshrined in the Constitution of India is one of the central pillars of our democracy,” he said.Gandhi also criticised the BJP and RSS over their alleged influence on the education system, saying it had been “captured by the RSS and BJP” and transformed into “a tool for the exploitation and oppression of students”.“It is no longer the robust knowledge system that it used to be a decade ago,” he said.The Leader of Opposition said the Congress had supported students protesting against paper leaks and irregularities in the education system over the past few months and would continue to stand with them.He also acknowledged that the Jharkhand government had agreed to several demands raised by the protesters but said the continuation of the agitation showed that “some concerns” remained unresolved.“The youth of India is its future. We owe them our solidarity and support at this moment of crisis,” Gandhi said, urging Soren to hear the students and take appropriate action.