Thiruvananthapuram: Chief Minister V.D. Satheesan on Saturday hailed the nationwide student movement against alleged irregularities in national entrance examinations as a historic victory, saying the agitation had forced the Union Government to acknowledge accountability.
In a strongly worded statement, Satheesan said the protests had become inevitable after the Centre failed to suppress the growing agitation over the conduct of examinations.
He described the development as the culmination of a nationwide movement led by students demanding transparency in the education system.
According to Satheesan, the protests exposed the Centre’s attempts to shield its ministers despite serious allegations and widespread criticism over the handling of examinations.
“The Prime Minister and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) stood firmly behind their minister despite grave allegations and public outrage. But the sustained struggle by students forced the government to bow before the power of people’s protests,” he said.
The Chief Minister also credited Leader of the Opposition (LoP) in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi and other Opposition parties for extending unwavering support to the students’ movement throughout the agitation.
Calling the outcome a historic victory, Satheesan said it demonstrated that democratic protests could prevail over attempts to silence dissent.
“Those who tried to crush the protests, deliberately provoked demonstrators to weaken their resolve, dragged the Leader of the Opposition through the streets and brutally assaulted our Members of Parliament have ultimately been forced to bow before the power of people’s protests,” he alleged, accusing the Centre of resorting to anti‑democratic methods to contain the agitation.
Emphasising the need for urgent reforms in the conduct of national entrance examinations, Satheesan said the Centre must ensure that tests such as NEET are conducted in a transparent, credible and error‑free manner.
“The future and lives of millions of students cannot be subjected to repeated uncertainty. The Union Government must never again gamble with the aspirations of the country’s youth,” he said.
Satheesan said the protests should serve as a reminder that governments cannot ignore the concerns of students indefinitely and that accountability remains the cornerstone of a functioning democracy.
(IANS)
