NEW DELHI: The Congress slammed the Haryana government saying it did not implement the school safety guidelines issued by Gurgaon police in 2014.
Taking up the recent killing of Pradyumn Thakur, a seven-year-old student of Ryan International School in Bhondsi, Congress spokesperson Randeep Surjewala accused the ML Khattar government of flip-flops over the incident.
According to Surjewala, also a lawmaker in Haryana, the staff of the Ryan school had no identity cards, vigilance officials were lax, CCTV cameras were out of order and a breach in the boundary wall provided free access to anti-social elements to the school premises.
Quoting from the document, Surjewala said, “There should be only one entry and exit point to the premises of the school. Walls around the school must be high enough to prevent any scaling; schools with lower walls must increase height of walls as decided in consultation with School Safety Committee.”
Further alleging that a Ryan school management committee head was part of the state BJP women’s wing, the Congress leader questioned why the state government was ignoring the conspiracy angle behind the ghastly killing of the child.
“How come no one came to know when the throat of the boy was slit with a sharp-edged weapon three times,” said Surjewala.
Questioning the clean chit provided by state education minister Ram Bilas Sharma to the Ryan management without any inquiry, the Congress lawmaker wondered why the chief minister was shying from a CBI probe into the incident.
“Prevention, reporting and handling of child abuse and other safety related accidents during the time children are entrusted to the care of the school, the school’s Board of Directors, Principal and the senior management team have primary responsibility for the care and welfare of the students,” the police guidelines drafted in consultation with parents associations and NGO mentions.