Agartala, Aug 11: Tripura Transport and Tourism Minister Sushanta Chowdhury on Tuesday voiced moral support for the student agitation in Jharkhand, saying the demonstrations demanding clean governance, transparent recruitment and safeguarding students' futures were democratic and deserved backing.
Allegations of partisan response
Addressing a press conference at Kushabhau Bhavan, the Tripura BJP headquarters, Chowdhury accused the Congress of adopting inconsistent positions on student movements depending on the state. He suggested the party applied “one policy” in Delhi and different approaches in Bengal, Tripura, Jharkhand and Kerala, a practice he said was eroding public trust.
“Congress follows one policy in Delhi, another in Bengal, a different policy in Tripura, another in Jharkhand and yet another in Kerala,” Chowdhury said.
He alleged the state’s opposition leader, Jitendra Chaudhury, had not shown comparable solidarity with the Jharkhand protesters, questioning why Chaudhury travelled to Delhi but had not visited Ranchi to stand with the students.
On police action and treatment of protesters
Chowdhury criticised what he described as police excesses against students in Jharkhand and said women protesters had also been subjected to mistreatment. He said the use of force against those exercising democratic rights was unacceptable and reiterated the BJP’s moral support for the agitation.
The minister further blamed the Congress leadership for remaining muted on the matter, linking its alliance with the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) to the silence of some senior leaders, including Rahul Gandhi. Chowdhury said Gandhi should press the Jharkhand government to address the students’ demands if he were genuinely concerned about their rights.
Political angle and charges of instrumentalisation
Chowdhury accused the Congress of attempting to create instability by using student issues for political advantage and suggested the party had not responded effectively to the ongoing agitation in Ranchi. He characterised the Jharkhand demonstrations as legitimate and urged political actors to respect students’ democratic expression.
At the Kushabhau Bhavan briefing, the minister framed the Jharkhand unrest as part of a broader national narrative about parties calibrating their responses to protests according to political convenience rather than consistent principle.
- Demanded by protesters: clean administration and transparent recruitment processes.
- Tripura BJP position: moral support for the student agitation.
- Key allegation: Congress applying double standards and failing to press its allies to act.
Summary of key claims made by the minister
| Claim | Details given by Chowdhury |
|---|---|
| Nature of agitation | Democratic protest seeking corruption-free governance and transparent recruitment |
| Response by Congress | Accused of inconsistent reactions across states and political silence due to alliances |
| Police conduct | Alleged excesses and mistreatment of women protesters |
Chowdhury also questioned local opposition behaviour in Tripura, drawing attention to what he described as selective engagement by Congress leaders with protests in different parts of the country.
The minister’s comments come amid heightened scrutiny of student-led movements in several states over employment and recruitment issues. His intervention frames the Jharkhand demonstrations not only as a local dispute but as a matter with national political resonance, at least in the ruling party’s public messaging.
No response from the Congress or the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha was cited at the press conference; the minister’s remarks represent the Tripura BJP’s current public position on the unfolding events in Ranchi.
Political observers say such inter-state criticisms are typical during periods of unrest, as parties seek to shape the narrative and highlight perceived inconsistencies by opponents. Chowdhury’s statement is likely to be used by the BJP to underline its claim that the Congress has become inconsistent on protest politics.
