Mohammad Junaid, who came into the spotlight for arranging food and drinking water for students during the NEET protest at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi, arrived in Ranchi on Thursday to support students protesting alleged irregularities in recruitment examinations conducted by the Jharkhand Public Service Commission (JPSC) and the Jharkhand Staff Selection Commission (JSSC).
Videos from the protest site at Jaipal Singh Munda Stadium showed Junaid interacting with students, including the six protesters currently on an indefinite hunger strike.
Speaking to reporters, Junaid said he had come to stand with students demanding justice.
“Just as we stood with students during the NEET protest by arranging food and drinking water for them, we will make similar efforts here as well. We have just arrived, so we will first assess the situation and then continue our support,” he said.
Demands CBI Probe Into Recruitment Irregularities
Junaid said the allegations surrounding the JPSC and JSSC examinations were serious and deserved an independent investigation.
“The injustice faced by students in the JPSC and JSSC exams is a matter of concern. We demand a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) inquiry into the alleged irregularities, and we urge the government to accept the students’ demands at the earliest,” he said.
He warned that the movement could grow if the demands remained unaddressed.
“If the government does not respond, this movement will only become bigger. More student organisations and Cockroach Janta Party are expected to join the protest. They are currently holding a meeting in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar to decide their future course of action,” he claimed.
‘We Will Go Wherever Students Are Fighting’
Junaid said his support was not linked to any political party but to students’ rights.
“We will go everywhere where students are fighting for their rights and against paper leaks. Until the students’ demands are met, our protest and support will continue,” he said.
He added that his involvement in student movements did not begin with the Jantar Mantar protests.
“My debut didn’t come suddenly from Jantar Mantar. I have long worked with students on education-related issues. Going viral was just a coincidence, but standing with students has always been a part of my life,” he said.
Junaid stressed that transparency and fairness in recruitment examinations were essential and said governments should listen to students’ concerns and resolve them.
Avoids Speaking on Alleged Harassment
When asked about the alleged police action against him and his family during the NEET protests in Delhi, Junaid declined to discuss the issue.
“I won’t talk here about what the government is doing and what happened to me. I’ve only come to talk about the students’ issue,” he said.
However, he added that supporting students had come at a personal cost.
“I am being tortured, but it doesn’t matter to me. Whoever the government belongs to, I will continue to raise issues concerning students and stand with them,” he said.
Students Welcome National Support
Students participating in the agitation welcomed Junaid’s visit, saying support from people across the country had strengthened their movement.
The ongoing protest in Ranchi seeks the cancellation of the 14th JPSC examination, reforms in the JPSC and JSSC, and a CBI inquiry into the alleged recruitment irregularities. Protesters have been staging demonstrations and hunger strikes, claiming that repeated exam controversies have affected the future of thousands of job aspirants in Jharkhand.
