BJP and Congress Clash Over Education and Exam Leaks

Political tensions escalated across India on Wednesday as the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Indian National Congress traded accusations over education system failures and examination irregularities. In Ranchi, BJP workers and youth wing members clashed with police while laying siege to the Jharkhand Public Service Commission headquarters. Led by state president Aditya Sahu and BJYM president Shashank Rajput, the protesters demanded the cancellation of the 14th Combined Civil Services Preliminary Examination, citing unsigned merit lists and missing cut-off marks. The BJP is calling for a fresh test and a CBI probe following the resignation of the commission's chairman.

Simultaneously, the BJP staged coordinated demonstrations outside Congress party offices in Pune and Gandhinagar. These actions were direct responses to earlier Congress protests in New Delhi near Prime Minister Narendra Modi's residence and at Jantar Mantar. BJP workers accused the opposition of politicizing paper leaks for political mileage.

Responding to the crisis, Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi criticized the government's management of the education sector. He alleged that the system is "rigged" and unaffordable for poor and middle-class families, claiming that 152 leaks have occurred over the last decade affecting 7.5 crore students without a single conviction. The Government of Jharkhand has stated that the CID is currently investigating the specific complaints regarding the civil services exam.