New Delhi, July 24 (IANS) Delhi Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) President and Union Minister of State Harsh Malhotra has said that to save their political future the opposition parties have hijacked the student movement and spreading violence from behind the scenes.
Addressing a joint press conference on Thursday with Delhi Education Minister Ashish Sood, Malhotra said that whatever is happening in the country and Delhi today can be described as anything but student politics.
He also welcomed Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s decision to conduct fast-track court trials in cases of paper leaks.
The Delhi BJP President said that what is happening today is an attempt by opposition parties, which have been losing elections one after another in various states, to save their political future.
“In this process, they are hijacking the student movement, spreading violence from behind the scenes, crossing political boundaries, and thereby defaming the student movement,” he added.
Malhotra said, “Rahul Gandhi, Arvind Kejriwal and other opposition parties must answer what they achieved by breaching the security of the Prime Minister’s residence and Parliament, or why they are now running away from a discussion on the NEET examination in Parliament.”
He added that the reality of the movement that began in the name of the NEET paper leak is that the re-NEET examination has already been conducted, its satisfactory results have been declared, and no one is discussing the matter anymore.
Malhotra said that BJP President Nitin Nabin, former BJP President J.P. Nadda, Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta and Ashish Sood began their political journeys through student politics.
He added that the BJP leadership has always given importance to leaders associated with student politics.
“Today, two former DUSU Presidents, Rekha Gupta and Ashish Sood, are serving as the Chief Minister of Delhi and Education Minister respectively, while the Delhi BJP’s state team also reflects the presence of former student leaders, all of whom are sensitive to the problems faced by students,” Malhotra said.
The Delhi BJP President added that the Opposition in the country today has no political vision.
“It consists only of personality-driven parties that have been rejected by the people for the last 12 years.”
He said: “Rahul Gandhi, Arvind Kejriwal, Akhilesh Yadav and Uddhav Thackeray are defeated and frustrated leaders, and not one of them has ever had any connection with student politics. Yet today, they see political gains in student politics.”
Malhotra and Sood released a list of student competitive examination paper leaks that took place during the Congress government led by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh between 2004 and 2014 and also referred to the recent pharmacy examination paper leak under the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government in Punjab.
Malhotra said, “Rahul Gandhi must answer for the 10 major paper leaks during the 10 years of the Congress government, while Kejriwal must answer for playing with the lives of students through the recent pharmacy examination paper leak under the AAP government in Punjab.”
He added that the seriousness of PM Modi’s government towards reforming and expanding the education system is evident from the fact that between 2014-15 and 2023-24, the number of higher education institutions increased by 25 per cent and the number of universities increased by 69.7 per cent.
During the PM Modi’s era, the number of Dalit students pursuing higher education increased by 51.4 per cent, while the number of OBC students increased by 60.2 per cent.
Minister Sood said, “I have myself been a student leader, and I understand that whenever a movement begins, it carries the hopes of many students as well as their parents.”
“We are not watching what is happening in the national capital from a distance. This morning itself, PM Modi made it clear that the interests and future of the country’s youth are our highest priority. No one who plays with the future of the youth will be spared,” he added.
He said that this was not the first time, but BJP leaders had earlier also made it clear in unequivocal terms that paper leaks would not be tolerated under any circumstances.
“Whether it is the recommendations of the Radhakrishnan Committee or the decision to establish fast-track courts today, we are not providing any temporary solution. We are working to address every aspect where improvement is required,” he added.
Minister Sood appealed to all students, saying, “Your anger is completely justified because you had and continue to have expectations from the PM Narendra Modi’s government. You must have faith that the PM Modi’s government has the courage to correct mistakes and transform the system. The successful conduct of the NEET re-examination is a result of this commitment.”
–IANS
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