The Congress on Wednesday (August 12, 2026) hit out at the BJP, accusing it of "politicising" the students’ exam agitation in Jharkhand and “bringing people from other states” to disrupt the protests. “The BJP brought people from other States to disrupt the students' peaceful protest in Ranchi on August 10 over exam irregularities. Ms. Tirkey asserted that no force was used on the protesting students in Jharkhand, whereas during the earlier BJP regime in the state, “the voice of the youth was crushed”. This awareness is now giving students the courage to step forward and participate in these movements, asserted Ms. Tirkey. “Even at Jantar Mantar during the NEET protests, Rahul Gandhi was present to boost the morale and courage of the students,” she said.