BALLARI: “I was a back-bencher in class. I have done ‘PhD’ on how to do malpractice during examination. I ragged my teachers. When I used to wear jeans, girls used to look at me. I went to jail 14 times.” If you are thinking that these are dialogues from a movie, hold on.
These claims were made by Transport Minister B Sriramulu while addressing students at the Diamond Jubilee celebration of Vidya Vardhak Sangh SG Pre-University College in Ballari, of which he is an alumnus. The minister however added, “I was a rowdy only to protect the poor and get justice for the needy”.
He added, “I was not a rank student. Many of my teachers tried to educate me, but I don’t know why I was not able to study.” Recalling his college days, Sriramulu said, “Many of my teachers scolded me. During my college days, teachers said I was unable to speak properly in any language, including Kannada”.
The minister said while he does not hesitate to speak about his past, his advice to students was to study hard to achieve their goals and live a good life.