BHUBANESWAR: BJD president Naveen Patnaik on Tuesday condemned the alleged police assault on the protesters while they were marching towards the Parliament in New Delhi on Monday and joined the leaders of opposition political parties in pressing for the demand of Union Education minister Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation over the NEET-UG paper leak.
The former chief minister described the matter as very serious. “Various opposition political parties have demanded the resignation of Pradhan over the issue of question paper leaks. A number of young students have been violently attacked and injured. Under the circumstances, I think he should resign,” Naveen said.
Naveen, who is in New Delhi for the last one week, also had a meeting with the party’s five Rajya Sabha MPs to discuss the situation. Terming the situation as very grave, the former chief minister said there are protests in various cities of the country as well as Indian embassies in other countries.
Naveen said the MPs of the party will continue to raise the issue in the Parliament. He also asked the party MPs to visit Dr Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital and meet those injured in the Monday’s police assault.
Earlier, BJD MPs protested over the issue at Vijay Chowk in New Delhi. Stating that use of force against peaceful protesters undermines democratic values, they announced that the party will continue its fight, both inside and outside Parliament, until every injured student receives justice and those responsible are brought to account.
The BJD MPs demanded that the proceedings of Parliament be suspended to facilitate a special discussion on the issue. The MPs said the right to hold peaceful protests was a fundamental right of every citizen, and it was the responsibility of the government to ensure their protection.
Going by the BJD president’s direction, a delegation of the party led by BJD Parliamentary party leader Manas Mangaraj and other MPs visited the injured protesters undergoing treatment at Dr Ram Manohar Lohia (RML) Hospital in New Delhi.
They enquired about their health and assured them that the BJD would always stand by them in their fight for justice. The delegation also conveyed the deep sympathy of party president Naveen Patnaik to the injured protesters.