Congress MP Manikam Tagore has sought the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over the NEET-UG scam. Tagore said, ‘The blood of the promising people of India is on this scam.’ At the same time, Pradhan accused Congress of making students political weapons.
Tagore asked for Pradhan’s resignation
New Delhi [भारत]July 22 (ANI): Congress MP and Tamil Nadu party committee president Manickam Tagore on Tuesday alleged that “the blood of India’s most promising is at stake in this NEET-UG scam.” He also demanded the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.
“152 paper leaks since 2014. Shameless Pradhan should resign first. 93 student suicides related to NEET since 2021. At least 13 died in 46 days of re-examination due to his own government’s paper leak. And Union Education Minister @dpradhanbjp responds to demands for his resignation… with a Sanskrit sloka on the glory of Guru. Pradhan, the blood of India’s most promising is in this NEET-UG is a scam. Don’t preach to us. Resign.” He was responding to a tweet posted by the Education Minister, hours after Congress protested outside Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s residence.
Pradhan’s counterattack on Congress
Pradhan on Tuesday condemned the Congress protest outside Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s residence and said the government is “more accountable than angry towards students”, and accused Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi of “shamelessly using students as a political weapon”.
“Leader of Opposition Shri @RahulGandhi and @INCIndia continue to shamelessly use students as a political weapon to create disruption during the Monsoon Session of Parliament. Shri @RahulGandhi and @INCIndia chose to stage a sit-in outside the residence of the Hon’ble Prime Minister, causing inconvenience to the public and disregarding established safety protocols,” Pradhan wrote on Twitter.
He said the Congress’s protest was aimed at “disruption to the political spotlight”. He further said, “Even after the government expressed its readiness for a broader discussion, the Congress chose political spectacle over democratic debate. Their aim was never a solution for the students, it was a disruption for the political limelight. For Rahul Gandhi, this is not about the students. It is about creating confrontation after every genuine avenue of discussion has been opened.”
The BJP leader further said, “Our government is 100% committed to discussing NEET and addressing every genuine concern of our youth on the floor of the House. India’s students deserve better than being treated as props in a political campaign. They deserve certainty over chaos, solutions over slogans and responsibility over disruption.”
“We are accountable to our students for more than just outrage. We owe them answers, reforms and accountability. That’s exactly what our government is committed to providing,” he said.
Congress protests and detention of leaders
Meanwhile, Congress party leaders and workers in Maharashtra protested against the Central government to condemn the alleged police lathicharge on students in New Delhi and the subsequent detention of party leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi.
Congress MPs Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi, along with several other leaders, were released from custody following the Delhi Police crackdown on the party’s protest at Lok Kalyan Marg that demanded the resignation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.
Rahul Gandhi, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav and several opposition leaders left the Chhatrasal Stadium, where they were detained by the police. Congress Parliamentary Party President Sonia Gandhi reached Mandir Marg police station, where Priyanka Gandhi was detained. Congress leaders Mallikarjun Kharge, Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, KC Venugopal and Pawan Kheda protested at Lok Kalyan Marg. Kerala Chief Minister V.D. Satheesan and Karnataka Chief Minister D.K. Shivkumar also joined the protest.
The entire ruckus happened after the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) ‘Sansad Chalo’ protest on Monday, which was cracked down on by the police in Central Delhi. (ANI)
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianet News editorial staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)