BHUBANESWAR: BJD president Naveen Patnaik on Sunday became the latest political leader to come out in solidarity with the Cockroach Janta Party-led protest at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi, urging the Centre to initiate a dialogue with the agitators and demanding a thorough debate on the examination irregularities issue in the Parliament.
The protesters have among their key demands the resignation of Union Education minister Dharmendra Pradhan over the NEET-UG paper leak controversy.
Naveen’s statement came in a post on X, a day ahead of the start of the monsoon session of Parliament. “Politics aside, I urge the government to initiate a meaningful dialogue with the students who have been peacefully protesting for days. They must be given a platform to express their views. A vibrant democracy advances through dialogue, not silence, and this dialogue is most vital when it involves the youth of the nation,” the former chief minister said.
Stating that every developed nation is built on a strong education system and a transparent, credible examination process, Naveen said, India too has made remarkable progress on the strength of its education system. “It has nurtured generations of brilliant doctors, scientists, engineers, teachers, and innovators who have shaped modern India,” he said.
However, he said, the trust in the system now stands broken and the damage goes far beyond a failed examination. The NEET paper leak episode had shattered faith in the very foundation of the education system.
Not only has it robbed many students of their only ladder to climb out of poverty but also told them that hard work does not matter anymore, he stated.
The BJD chief said as the issue concerns millions of hardworking students of the country, it must be taken up in Parliament as the highest priority. The debate should lead to concrete reforms to ensure paper leaks, flawed assessments and systemic failures are never repeated.
“Accountability must also be fixed for this lapse of trust,” he demanded.
