Hubballi: Union Minister for Food, Public Distribution and Consumer Affairs Pralhad Joshi said on Saturday that ‘Janivara’ (sacred thread) is not only worn by the Brahmins, but is a part of the religious belief system.
“It’s not just Brahmins who wear the Janivara. It is part of religious belief. The incident is an attack on this belief. The government must take this seriously and issue clear and specific guidelines,” said the Union Minister while condemning the incident where students were allegedly forced to remove their ‘Janivara’ before taking the CET exam at centres in Bidar and Shivamogga.
He asked the state government that merely suspend the home guard involved in the case and wash its hands off the matter is not sufficient.
He accused the government, led by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, of constantly trying to distract people whenever controversies like the caste census or administrative failures arise.
Responding to the implementation of the proposed ‘Rohith Vemula Act’, the minister said: “It’s nothing new for Congress to pull controversies upon themselves and then attempt to divert public attention. Who did they visit for the so-called caste census? Not a single household has been surveyed. When objections were raised, they quickly changed their stance, claiming it was an economic survey and not a caste census.”
He added that the Leader of the Opposition (LoP) in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi and others in the Congress have no real concern for the nation, adding that they do not have a sincere or transparent stand on national integrity or the well-being of citizens.
“They are only interested in vote-bank politics. Rahul Gandhi is not doing politics for the welfare of the country. His focus is entirely on 24/7 vote-bank politics. Even the letter written by Siddaramaiah demanding the implementation of the ‘Rohith Vemula Act’ in the state is part of that strategy,” he claimed.
Meanwhile, JD-S Youth Wing President Nikhil Kumaraswamy termed the incident ‘wrong’.
“We must learn to respect the beliefs of every caste and religion. Denying a student the right to take an exam just because they are wearing the Janivara is not acceptable. I strongly condemn this incident. The government must ensure such things don’t happen again,” he told media persons in Bengaluru.
“Can someone use the Janivara to cheat? Can a student hide a chit in the Janivara? If someone wears a smart watch, asking them to remove it is justified. But forcing someone to remove a Janivara and insulting an entire community is not right,” he added.
Nikhil said that strict action should be taken against those responsible, adding that they must be counselled and steps must be taken to ensure such incidents are not repeated.
(IANS)
