New Delhi: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Friday accused the Opposition, particularly the Congress, of avoiding a discussion in the Parliament on paper leaks and related educational concerns and instead using the students’ agitation to serve its “political interests”.
Earlier in the day, Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi told reporters within the Parliament premises, “We are not going to have any conversation or discussion before Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan is sacked.”
Speaking to IANS, BJP MP Anurag Thakur said that while Prime Minister Narendra Modi has taken all decisions prioritising the welfare of the students, the opposition parties are just fulling their “political interests by using the youths”.
“They don’t want to take part in a discussion and talk about the probable reforms,” he added.
Echoing similar view, BJP MP Harsh Vardhan Shringla said: “The issue that was started by the students, Sonam Wangchuk and other people; is now being exploited by the Opposition parties for their political interests. When Parliament’s Monsoon Session began, they (Opposition) said that there should be a discussion in the House on this issue and the examination-related concerns. Now when the government is ready to do so, they are demanding something else.”
Shringla added: “It is a great thing that the Prime Minister (Modi) himself is communicating with the students and has announced measures to address the concern of the students.”
Sharpening the attack on Congress, BJP MP Nishikant Dubey asked: “Should the Congress party or anything related to it be taken seriously?”
“People were not joining them (Congress); they have lost around 100 elections. When Sonam Wangchuk ji was on a hunger strike, people were paying attention to it and there was a reaction across the country, so Congress tried to take political advantage of the situation. Congress did not launch any movement on its own,” he told reporters.
BJP MP Manoj Tiwari also remarked that the Opposition does not want to resolve the problems of the students.
“If the Opposition were truly concerned about the students, the NEET issue, or the future of the youth, it would support possible solutions. Instead, they only want disruption, work to stop, and Parliament to remain stalled. Their policy is to stop the progress of the nation,” he told IANS.
BJP MP Sakshi Maharaj emphasised that whatever the decision is, it can only be arrived at with discussions in the House.
“Shouting will not achieve anything. Paper leaks have been happening for a long time, it cannot be stopped by shouting,” he said.
BJP MP Tarun Chugh further accused the Opposition of “politically hijacking” students’ issues.
“Students across the country are watching that Rahul Gandhi, Akhilesh Yadav and others are continuously conspiring for their political gains using the concerns of the students,” he told IANS.
(IANS)
