BENGALURU: Karnataka Chief Minister DK Shivakumar on Thursday said Prime Minister Narendra Modi should have spoken about the NEET paper leak issue much earlier, as the future of students and youngsters of the country is in a big dilemma.
“The Prime Minister has spoken today, but he should have spoken at the very beginning itself. I had appealed to him. He should have taken it up. This is not an issue of any political party. This is the issue of the future of the country,” the CM told mediapersons in Bengaluru.
Shivakumar said over 100 examination paper leaks have been reported and everyone is worried about the future of the youth. India is known for its talent pool, and the high quality of education has to be maintained, he said, and he questioned who is responsible for such paper leaks.
In a democratic system, it is the right of the opposition parties and the youth to protest, the CM said. “In such cases, they have been lathicharged and harassed, and the media was forced to remove videos. Videos recorded by those present at the protests have been circulated on social media, including YouTube,” he said, adding that the media picked up the issue after it came on social media.
Shivakumar said it is not right to throw eggs on BJP leaders protesting outside the Congress office. “We cannot say that the throwing of eggs near the Congress office on Tuesday is right. Our Home Minister has already said that action will be taken as per the law. They should also remember what the BJP had done in the past. Rifle training was given in the school premises in Ponnampet. You, too, have a history,” the CM said, hitting out at BJP leaders.
Roll back NEET, restore CETs, Deputy CM tells PM
Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister Dr G Parameshwara urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to initiate meaningful dialogue with students, educators, academic institutions and all stakeholders to undertake comprehensive reforms.
In a letter to the PM, Parameshwara expressed concern over the NEET paper leak, examination irregularities and the use of force against students. “There is growing concern among students, parents, educators and employers about the declining credibility of competitive examinations and the overall quality of higher education.
These concerns deserve urgent national attention. Every paper leak,every institutional failure, and every unanswered question erodes confidence in India’s educational ecosystem and weakens our global standing,” the DyCM stated.
He urged the Union Government to roll back NEET and restore transparent, merit-based State CETs for medical admissions, respecting India’s federal structure, and provide an ex gratia compensation of at least Rs 1 crore to the families of students who were driven to suicide by the NEET paper leak and the systemic failures that followed.
Fast track courts Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s decision to set up fast track courts to try the accused in the NEET question paper leak demonstrates the government’s sincerity and sensitivity towards students’ cause, said Chief Whip of the Opposition in Legislative Council N Ravi Kumar.
He said the Union Government was proactive in taking action against those involved in the question paper leak and the matter was immediately handed over to the CBI, 13 culprits were arrested, the repeat examination of NEET was held within 13 days and action was also initiated against the National Testing Agency officials.
The BJP leader said there had been question paper leaks during the Congress-led UPA regime from 2006 to 2014, but the then government never bothered to take action against those involved in the question paper leak.
YOUTH HELD OVER ALLEGED DEFAMATORY REMARKS AGAINST PM AMID NEET PROTESTS
BENGALURU: A 21-year-old youth was arrested by the Banaswadi police on Thursday for allegedly posting defamatory remarks against Prime Minister Narendra Modi on his social media account over the ongoing protests against the alleged NEET paper leak and the demand for the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.
The accused has been identified as Hudson, a resident of Lingarajapuram. He works at a biryani shop in HRBR layout. According to the police, Hudson participated in a protest held at Freedom Park on Tuesday.
Hours later, he uploaded a video on his Instagram account claiming that people, especially students, were being beaten on the streets and had suffered head injuries requiring stitches. In the video, he questioned Prime Minister Narendra Modi, asking, “What are you doing? Where are you?” He also alleged corruption and claimed that politicians’ pockets were filled with money.
Following the post, Abhilash Reddy, the Sarvagnanagar Assembly constituency BJP president, filed a complaint with the Banaswadi police. Based on the complaint, the police registered a case against Hudson on Wednesday and arrested him on Thursday.