Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi on Thursday held a telephonic conversation with students leading the agitation in Ranchi against alleged irregularities in recruitment examinations conducted in Jharkhand. Protesters said the Congress leader listened to their grievances and promised to raise the issue with the concerned authorities.

The interaction took place on the 13th day of the ongoing sit-in at Jaipal Singh Munda Stadium, where thousands of aspirants have been demanding action over alleged discrepancies in recruitment processes. According to protest leader Ravindra Paswan, the conversation lasted for nearly three minutes and was facilitated by Ranchi Metropolitan Congress president Kumar Raja.

Paswan said he briefed Gandhi about the students' demands and the situation at the protest site. He claimed that the Congress leader assured the demonstrators that efforts would be made to address their concerns.

The student leader also urged Gandhi to exert pressure on the Jharkhand government, pointing out that the Congress is part of the ruling coalition in the state. According to Paswan, he even suggested that the party reconsider its alliance if the government failed to respond to the students' demands.

The phone call comes amid an intensifying movement against the results of the 14th Jharkhand Public Service Commission (JPSC) examination and the functioning of the Jharkhand Staff Selection Commission (JSSC). The protests, which began on July 25, have drawn participation from students across the state.

The agitators are seeking cancellation of the examination, reforms in the recruitment bodies and an independent investigation, either by the CBI or by a committee comprising retired High Court judges from outside Jharkhand.

Neither Rahul Gandhi nor the Congress party had issued an official statement on the conversation at the time of publication.

The outreach assumes significance as Gandhi had recently faced criticism for speaking about student protests in Delhi while remaining silent on the ongoing agitation in Ranchi, despite the Congress being a coalition partner in the Hemant Soren-led government.

On Wednesday, Gandhi met students who had participated in demonstrations at Delhi's Jantar Mantar over alleged irregularities in the NEET-UG examination. That protest concluded after the resignation of former Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.

Meanwhile, the Ranchi agitation continues to gather momentum. Jharkhand Loktantrik Krantikari Morcha (JLKM) leader Devendra Nath Mahto remains on a hunger strike in solidarity with the students, while members of the JPSC-JSSC Reforms Manch have also launched a fast demanding action.

To widen public participation, protest leaders organised a Tiranga March in Ranchi. The movement has additionally received support from the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), whose leaders have expressed solidarity with the students and backed their demand for accountability.

As the protests enter their second week, demonstrators continue to seek a concrete response from the state government and greater political support for their demands.