Union minister JP Nadda. Photo | Express
India

‘Opposition using students for undue gains’

Union Minister and former BJP national president JP Nadda hit back and accused the Congress leader of not being genuinely concerned about the students’ welfare.

Rajesh Kumar Thakur

NEW DELHI: Hours after Rahul Gandhi cited over 150 incidents of paper leaks over the past decade, Union Minister and former BJP national president JP Nadda hit back and accused the Congress leader of not being genuinely concerned about the students’ welfare.

He said incidents such as the NEET paper leak should not be politicised and that seeking undue political advantage from them was not justified. Referring to several paper leak incidents that occurred in the past in Congress-ruled states and states governed by its allies, Nadda questioned why Gandhi had been selective and avoided mentioning leaks that took place in states ruled by Congress and its allies in the past.

Nadda said the Opposition could decide the duration of the debate on issues such as NEET, and the government would present its position. Asking the Opposition to act responsibly, he said,

“The Opposition should also discharge its responsibility and move along with all towards a permanent solution and bring a policy together with government,” he asserted. He said, “Issue of paper leak is a matter of investigation, and for this, the government will place answers on every point before the public”.

Taking a dig at the Congress for “politicising” the issue, he said, “Children are ours, yours and the future of the country. It is our collective duty and responsibility to take care of their future.”

Earlier, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh described the protests as “a matter of serious concern”. In an apparent reference to Rahul Gandhi’s sit-in at Lok Kalyan Marg on Tuesday, he said, “It is unfortunate that some people are using students as political tools.”

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