Activists of the All-India Democratic Students’ Organisation (AIDSO) on Sunday staged a demonstration and burnt an effigy of Higher Education Minister Badrinarayan Patro protesting arrest of around 50 students and police action against those who had been agitating peacefully before his residence in Bhubaneswar on Saturday.
Demanding the resignation of the Minister, the students charged the Government with trying to quell the voices of protest instead of taking exemplary action against those involved in the leakage of plus-two question papers.
More than 50 students were arrested while police beat up the agitators, the organisation alleged and announced to gherao the State Assembly on Monday. They also termed the order for a CB probe into question paper leak as an eyewash. “The Crime Branch has not yet been able to unearth the culprits behind the matriculation question paper theft from an examination centre last year. It has been able to arrest only the watchman of the school even after a year has passed. The investigation into plus-two examination leak will go the same way. Government has used the tactics to divert attention from the issue and protect real culprits”, City secretary Bhagyarabi Das said.
The organisation has alleged that question paper leak would impact the meritorious students, who had put in toil and sweat for the examination. They would be psychologically affected by having to appear for the exams once again. Further, due to the disruption, they might also not be able to appear for entrance examinations.
The students have demanded action against CHSE authorities and officials and doing away with the private colleges.