Echo of NEET controversy: Congress used students for political agenda: BJP

‘Police remained silent spectators while Congress workers behaved like goons’

Mysuru: Accusing the ruling Congress of politicising students to further its political agenda, City BJP President L. Nagendra alleged that Congress workers behaved like ‘goons’ during the programme organised at Maharani PU College yesterday under the guise of boosting students’ confidence.

Addressing a press conference at the BJP office in Chamarajapuram here this morning, Nagendra alleged that the programme, organised in the name of students who had died by suicide after the NEET controversy, was used by Congress leaders for political purposes.

“Congress MLA K. Harishgowda and other party leaders hijacked the programme and used students to further their political agenda in the name of NEET aspirants who ended their lives. The workers behaved like goons and the Police remained mute spectators,” City BJP President Nagendra alleged.

Students for political  purposes

Questioning the permission granted for the programme, he claimed it violated established norms and warned the State Government against using students for political purposes.

He also accused the Congress of unfairly targeting the Union Government over the NEET question paper leak and questioned whether then Karnataka Education Minister Kimmane Ratnakar had resigned when question papers allegedly leaked during his tenure.

Similar incidents had occurred when the Congress was in power both at the Centre and in States, he claimed, while criticising the party for demanding the resignations of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah.

MLC Raghu R. Kautilya alleged that the Congress was attempting to ‘poison the minds’ of students by organising such programmes.

Claiming that the Centre had taken measures to plug loopholes in the examination system after the NEET paper leak, he accused the Congress of continuing to politicise the issue for its own benefit.

He also criticised the indefinite agitation launched by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) over the NEET paper leak and alleged that the Congress had joined the protest to create unnecessary unrest.

He further questioned whether any Union Minister in the erstwhile UPA Government had resigned over examination paper leaks reported during that period.

Former Mayor Sandesh Swamy alleged that students were being mobilised for political programmes and claimed that yesterday’s event at Maharani’s PU College was an example. He warned that the State Government would be held responsible if any untoward incident occurred involving such students in future.

City BJP Spokespersons Mohan, Kiran Gowda and others were present during the press conference.