Congress MP and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi has urged Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren to personally meet students protesting alleged irregularities in the state’s recruitment examinations.

In a letter dated August 14, Mr Gandhi said the agitation had entered its 24th day by Monday and described the protests as peaceful, while calling the students’ demands legitimate.

He said the Congress supports the right to peaceful protest and has backed students raising concerns over alleged paper leaks and irregularities in the education system.

Mr Gandhi also acknowledged that the Jharkhand government had initiated a dialogue with the protesting students.

“I believe that there is also agreement on several demands raised by the students. However, the protests continue, and some students remain on an indefinite hunger strike,” he said.

The Congress leader urged Mr Soren to meet representatives of the protesting students, saying such a step would reinforce the government’s commitment to resolving their remaining concerns.

Jharkhand protesters had appealed to Rahul Gandhi

The students protesting over the examination issue had also appealed to Rahul Gandhi on Independence Day to withdraw support from the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha-led coalition if the Chief Minister did not respond to their concerns.

The protesters said that although Mr Gandhi had expressed support for their cause, no concrete action had followed.

They have also sought Mr Soren’s resignation and announced plans to protest outside his residence on August 20.

The agitation has focused on alleged irregularities in recruitment examinations conducted in Jharkhand. Some protesters, including students on an indefinite hunger strike, have continued their demonstration despite talks between representatives of the government and the students.

Shehzad Poonawalla on Monday resigned from the BJP, citing what he described as pressing financial and personal circumstances.

The BJP’s national spokesperson said he had first submitted his resignation on July 30. However, the party did not accept it at the time and asked him to reconsider his decision.

Poonawalla has now reiterated his decision to step down as the BJP’s national spokesperson and relinquish his primary membership of the party.

In his resignation letter to BJP president Nitin Nabin, Poonawalla said that after “long and hard contemplation”, he had decided to seek relief from his organisational responsibilities and active primary membership.

He also referred to developments involving certain individuals in recent days, saying they had reinforced his earlier decision. He did not name anyone in his letter.

Shehzad Poonawalla thanks BJP leadership

Poonawalla said he was touched that the BJP had initially declined to accept his resignation and expressed gratitude towards the party leadership.

He thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi, BJP president Nitin Nabin, Home Minister Amit Shah, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and BJP General Secretary (Organisation) BL Santosh for the platform and opportunities he received during his five years with the party.

Poonawalla said his decision to leave was not driven by any sense of hurt and described his sentiments towards the party leadership with “gratefulness, love, affection, and highest regard”.

He said that his decision was linked to pressing financial and personal circumstances and that he would move into the private sector.

At the same time, Poonawalla said he would continue to support Prime Minister Modi’s vision and work, as well as that of the BJP, wherever possible.

“I am only leaving the Vyavastha not the Vyakti or Vichar,” he said.

Shehzad Poonawalla’s political journey

A lawyer, Poonawalla began his political career with the Congress before later joining the BJP.

He came into prominence in 2017 after publicly questioning the Congress’s internal election process. He alleged that the process was rigged in favour of Rahul Gandhi for the post of party president.

Poonawalla subsequently left the Congress and joined the BJP, where he became one of the party’s prominent representatives in television debates.

On July 30, he had also changed his bio on X, removing the reference to himself as “BJP National Spokesperson” while retaining his description as a lifelong follower of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

At least seven devotees were killed and several others injured in a stampede-like incident outside the Ashok Dham Temple in Bihar’s Lakhisarai district on Monday. The incident occurred amid a heavy rush of worshippers on the third Monday of the Sawan month.

Officials said panic may have spread after an electric pole collapsed near the queues, with rumours circulating that a live wire had fallen into the crowd. Authorities later said the fallen wire was a cable.

Crowd surge triggers chaos at temple

Lakhisarai District Magistrate Shailendra Kumar said an unprecedented surge in the number of devotees was further intensified by the arrival of two trains around 6.30-6.45 am.

According to the district magistrate, a barricade outside the temple broke under the pressure of the crowd, causing people to fall over one another.

He said arrangements had been made in anticipation of a large gathering, while police and administrative personnel had been monitoring the area since around 3 am.

Electric pole collapse sparks panic

Kumar said an electric pole on the right side of the men’s queue suddenly fell. A rumour then spread that a live electric wire had fallen on devotees.

He said the wire was actually a cable, but the rumour caused pressure to build in the women’s queue on the other side. Several women subsequently fell on top of one another.

Sub-Divisional Police Officer Shivam Kumar said preliminary information indicated that an electric pole had fallen and that people may have been electrocuted, leading to the stampede-like situation.

However, he said the exact cause would be established only after a detailed verification of the facts.

Rescue operations launched

Following the incident, police and administrative teams reached the temple and began rescue operations. The injured devotees were taken to nearby hospitals for treatment.

Bihar Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary described the incident as extremely tragic and directed the administration to ensure proper and prompt medical treatment for those injured.

The Chief Minister also announced financial assistance of Rs 4 lakh for the family of each person who died.

Ashok Dham Temple draws Sawan crowds

The Ashok Dham Temple, also known as Shri Indradamaneshwar Mahadev Temple, houses a large Shivalinga and attracts a significant number of devotees during Sawan.