BHUBANESWAR: A day after Dharmendra Pradhan quit as Union Education minister over the NEET-UG paper leak controversy, the Opposition BJD and Congress on Sunday stepped up pressure for resignation of state School and Mass Education minister Nityananda Gond, holding him responsible for large-scale errors in school textbooks this year.
Drawing a parallel with Pradhan’s exit, the Opposition parties said Gond should also accept moral responsibility for the mistakes found in textbooks for Classes I and VIII. As the minister, he should be accountable for such serious administrative lapse that has not only affected thousands of school students and hindered the progress of the academic session but also made Odisha a laughing stock in the country, they said.
Former minister and BJD MLA Arun Sahu said Gond should voluntarily step down or should be sacked by Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi. “The issue will be raised in the upcoming monsoon session of the Assembly and outside also. The issue is very grave as the future of children is involved,” he said.
BJD spokesperson Lenin Mohanty alleged that the BJP was shielding Gond despite the serious errors. “If the Union Education minister can resign over a question paper leak, the state School and Mass Education minister should also take responsibility for the textbook mistakes,” he said.
Demanding that Gond should be removed without delay, Mohanty said the BJD will intensify its ongoing ‘Save Education Campaign’ across the state. The party has also sought a CBI probe into the alleged irregularities in textbook printing, claiming that corruption worth Rs 380 crore was involved.
Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee president Bhakta Charan Das also demanded Gond’s resignation on moral grounds.
Claiming that more than 2,000 errors had been detected in the textbooks printed by the state government, Das questioned why the chief minister was protecting the minister.
Das warned that if Gond did not resign within a week, the Congress would call for an Odisha bandh over the issue.
Rejecting the Opposition’s demand, BJP spokesperson Sameer Ranjan Das said the state government had already initiated corrective measures. “The chief minister has taken cognizance of the serious issue. Corrective action has already been initiated and those found guilty of the mistakes will be charged criminally. Therefore, the demand for the minister’s resignation has no relevance,” he said.