BJP slams Congress, says ‘Politics above students’ interests’
BENGALURU/NEW DELHI, June 22: Slamming the Congress over reports that multiple students could not take the NEET-UG exam in Bengaluru due to its rally disrupting city traffic, the BJP on Monday said this makes it clear that for the party, politics comes above students’ interests.
“On one hand, Rahul Gandhi was doing theatrics and indulging in diversionary tactics just 72 hours before the examination in Kota. On the other hand, his own government was not even ready to change the time of the rally to ensure that none of the students taking the NEET exam faces any problem,” BJP national spokesperson Sudhanshu Trivedi told reporters here.
According to media reports, several NEET-UG aspirants in Bengaluru could not reach their examination centres to take the test on Sunday due to traffic disruptions allegedly caused by a Congress rally in the city.
Reacting to media reports, Trivedi said, “It is deeply unfortunate and concerning that, due to a rally held on Sunday in Bengaluru by the Karnataka Congress state president B K Hariprasad, many candidates were unable to appear for the NEET exam.” Calling it “disturbing and disheartening”, the BJP leader said this makes it clear that, for the Congress, politics is above the students’ interests.
Trivedi demanded a response from Rahul Gandhi on the issue, saying the Congress leader cannot run away from his responsibility.
“After returning from Kolkata on Sunday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi stayed at the Delhi airport for 45 minutes to ensure that NEET aspirants do not face any inconvenience in reaching their examination centres,” the BJP leader said.
This is the difference between the thinking of the Congress government and that of the BJP, Trivedi added.
K’TAKA CONGRESS CHIEF EXPRESSES REGRET
Karnataka Congress president B K Hariprasad on Monday expressed regret over the difficulties reportedly faced by some students appearing for the NEET (UG) re-exam in reaching their centres on time due to traffic disruptions, while attacking the BJP over question paper leaks.
He also took a swipe at BJP MP Tejasvi Surya without naming him, saying the “exit master” of Bengaluru was making vague allegations against the Congress.
His remarks came a day after Surya targeted the ruling Congress in Karnataka for holding a mega rally in Bengaluru on the day of the NEET examination (June 21), alleging that it caused massive traffic disruptions and inconvenienced students travelling to examination centres.
“I have seen reports in newspapers and electronic media that some students faced hardship before attending the examination. If any of our children faced such problems, I deeply regret what happened to them,” Hariprasad told reporters.
He said thousands of students had reportedly missed the examination in places such as Kalaburagi and Mangaluru, where no Congress programmes were held.
Citing media reports, Hariprasad said only three students were reported to have faced difficulties in Bengaluru.
CJP PROTESTS ENTER DAY 3
The Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) continued its sit-in protest at Jantar Mantar here for a third straight day on Monday, with founder Abhijeet Dipke stepping up his attack on the Centre over alleged examination irregularities and the NEET paper-leak controversy.
The protest, which began on Saturday afternoon, continued through the night, with supporters staying at the venue amid police deployment. Some NEET aspirants who appeared for the re-examination on Sunday have also joined the protest, sharing their experiences and demanding accountability.
Addressing the protesters, Dipke questioned the BJP-led Centre’s response to students who were not allowed to appear for the re-exam after they arrived late by a few minutes, saying authorities are “punishing students”, while failing to take action over the alleged paper leak.
“You cannot tolerate four minutes of delay, but how can we tolerate the continuation of the education minister after the deaths of students?” he said, referring to their demand for Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation.Dipke said Pradhan’s resignation is the “bare minimum” and alleged that accountability is missing from the education system. He said students have experienced trauma after preparing again for an examination that was cancelled following allegations of irregularities. (PTI)
