Minister Sushanta Chowdhury accuses Congress-JMM of 'Double Standards' on Jharkhand Student agitation

Transport and Tourism Minister Sushanta Chowdhury on Tuesday briefed the media at the Pradesh BJP Headquarters in Agartala, where he delivered a sharp critique of the Congress-JMM coalition government in Jharkhand. 

Addressing reporters at the Dr. Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Hall in Kushabhau Bhavan, Chowdhury said the BJP stands firmly behind the democratic movement of Jharkhand’s students, while accusing the ruling alliance of adopting “double standards” and misleading the public with contradictory statements.

Chowdhury stressed that the students’ demands — corruption-free administration, transparent recruitment, and safeguarding the future of the next generation — are entirely democratic. He contrasted the recognition given to Delhi’s student protesters with the treatment of Jharkhand’s students, alleging that the Congress-JMM government has failed to uphold the same principles.

The Minister accused Congress of pursuing different policies in different states, saying, “In Delhi one policy, in Bengal another, in Tripura another, in Jharkhand another, and in Kerala yet another. This double-faced politics is why the party is becoming increasingly disconnected from the people.” 

He also questioned why Tripura’s opposition leader Jitendra Chaudhury had gone to Delhi but not Ranchi, despite the agitation continuing there.

Chowdhury raised allegations of police “barbaric attacks” on Jharkhand’s students and claimed women were subjected to harassment during the protests. 

He directly targeted Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, accusing him of remaining silent because of his party’s alliance with JMM. “If Rahul Gandhi is truly concerned about students’ rights, he must speak against the Jharkhand government and press for their demands to be met,” he said. He further alleged that Gandhi was exploiting students for political gain, “trying to bake political bread” by fueling unrest while ignoring Ranchi’s protests.

Turning to the NEET-UG paper leak controversy, Chowdhury charged that Congress attempted to create chaos in Parliament while Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, and the BJP pursued orderly solutions, including legislation to ensure strict punishment for offenders. 

He noted that Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan resigned to uphold integrity, contrasting this with what he described as Congress’s attempt to politicize the issue by staging protests with “accused persons.”

The Minister emphasized that democratic protests for a corruption-free system and fair recruitment must be viewed beyond political lenses. He urged the media to maintain neutrality and avoid adopting partisan positions, stressing that constitutional institutions must uphold democratic values and prioritize the rights of students.

Concluding his remarks, Chowdhury reaffirmed BJP’s moral support for Jharkhand’s students and called upon the Congress-JMM government to immediately accept their demands as proof of goodwill. He said the government must demonstrate sincerity by addressing the students’ concerns without delay, warning that selective politics across states was eroding public trust in the opposition.