SFI Protest in Ranchi Over FIRs Against Student Agitators

Ranchi, August 23, 2026; The Students’ Federation of India (SFI) organised a demonstration in Ranchi on Sunday, raising concerns over police action during recent student protests and demanding the withdrawal of criminal cases registered against protesters in Jharkhand.

SFI National Joint Secretary Aishe Ghosh said the protests had brought greater focus on accountability within the government and administration. She maintained that students would continue to question authorities whenever they believed their rights or interests were being affected.

Ghosh also criticised the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) over its approach to examination-related controversies. Referring to alleged irregularities in competitive examinations and the cancellation of several NTA-NET papers, she questioned why the National Testing Agency (NTA) had not faced stronger action at the national level.

She alleged that the BJP’s concern for students in Jharkhand was politically motivated and said students were capable of understanding and pursuing their own demands.

Meanwhile, Jharkhand Leader of Opposition Babulal Marandi called for the immediate cancellation of FIRs registered against students involved in recent demonstrations. Speaking in Hazaribagh, Marandi said young protesters should not be intimidated by the cases and assured them of his party’s support.

Marandi appealed to the Jharkhand government to end the legal proceedings against the student protesters. He also urged students not to be afraid of possible arrests if the government refused to withdraw the FIRs.

The dispute follows a recent demonstration in Hazaribagh, where protesters held a silent march towards the district headquarters. The students reportedly sought to establish that their movement was peaceful by presenting officials with flowers and pens after police had taken action over an alleged violation of the route approved for the demonstration.

The latest protest in Ranchi has once again brought the issue of student demonstrations, police action and FIRs against agitators into focus in Jharkhand.