With the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP)’s protest continuing at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar, demanding accountability and resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over various alleged irregularities in the education sector including paper leaks, prominent activist Sonam Wangchuk has now also joined its stir, undertaking an indefinite hunger strike. This youth protest remained a key focus of the Urdu dailies through the week, which also put a spotlight on the raging controversy over the alleged embezzlement of funds and valuables donated to the Ayodhya Ram temple and its political ramifications.
Highlighting the Cockroach Janta Party’s stir, the Hyderabad-based Siasat, in its June 24 editorial, points out that the CJP activists and supporters have been holding a peaceful sit-in in the heart of the national capital since June 20 to protest alleged irregularities in various entrance and recruitment exams such as the NEET paper leak, but it has not had any impact on the central government so far. “It is the government’s responsibility to reach out to the protesting students and youths and resolve their concerns, but it seems to have turned a blind eye to the agitation, which could not be justified,” it says. Since the scrapping of the NEET-UG exam last month due to paper leak, several students have died by suicide, the edit notes. “The CJP protesters do not belong to any political outfit and have not got any support from any party. But the government has still not considered having any engagement or talks with them. On the contrary, various hurdles are being put up to undermine their protest,” it says, adding that the situation betrays the ruling dispensation’s “arrogance of power” which could be detrimental for our democracy.
The editorial points out that young protesters, led by CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke, have been demanding the resignation of Dharmendra Pradhan, maintaining that the government must fix accountability for the alleged rot in the education and exam system. “This crucial issue has a bearing on the future of our youths. And, yet, the dispensation is in a denial mode – it rather appears to be more focused on engineering splits in different parties,” the edit says. “The pro-establishment media is also shying away from giving due coverage to the CJP’s protest, even though the issue at stake concerns the future of our country. This is unfortunate.”
URDU TIMES
Referring to the latest paper leak case, this time in the Maharashtra Teacher Eligibility Test (TET), the Mumbai-based Urdu Times, in its June 29 leader, points out that this exam, meant for the appointment of school teachers or ensuring eligibility of in-service teachers, was postponed on the eve of the test after its question paper leak was detected in Bhiwandi that led to the arrest of three persons. The TET leak has also affected lakhs of candidates, the editorial notes, pointing out that this is an inter-state racket involving crores of rupees. “While the Opposition in Maharashtra has created an uproar, demanding the resignation of state Education Minister Dada Bhuse, the Devendra Fadnavis government has been silent,” it says.
At the national level, too, the paper leak row has touched off a storm in the wake of the NEET exam’s cancellation, which affected about two million students who had to sit for its re-exam, the daily notes. “Several students have meanwhile died by suicide. The CJP has been holding its indefinite protest at Jantar Mantar under a blazing summer sun to demand the resignation of Union Education Minister, but to no avail,” it says. The government has however not made any outreach to these protesters, betraying its alleged apathy and callousness, the edit says. “On the paper leak row, the BJP’s key allies like TDP supremo N Chandrababu Naidu and JD(U) chief Nitish Kumar also cannot evade their responsibility,” it claims, adding that Naidu and Kumar should take a strong stand and build pressure within the NDA to ensure corrective measures.
SIASAT
Referring to the alleged theft, misappropriation of cash and embezzlement of valuables donated to the Ram temple in Ayodhya, Siasat, in its June 28 editorial, points out that the episode has stunned the country. “This alleged siphoning off funds from the temple does not appear to be a one-off incident — it may have been a festering rot. The matter was first highlighted by Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav, but he drew fire from various quarters. He was also accused of being anti-Hindu,” it states. “But then facts started coming to light. The UP government’s Special Investigation Team (SIT) probed into the case and found veracity in such allegations. Afterwards, the police registered an FIR, arrested eight temple officials and recovered some money from them.”
The daily says the BJP’s silence on the row is deafening. “The BJP had built up its politics on the Ram temple plank, reaping its electoral dividends as it stormed to power at the Centre and in state after state. However, after the temple donation row erupted, the party is trying to wash its hand of the matter which has hurt the sentiments and trust of the Hindu community,” the edit states, adding that the BJP dispensation had formed the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust that runs the temple.
The editorial says the current probe is under a cloud as it is alleged to be an “eye-wash” aimed at protecting the real culprits. The Trust’s general secretary Champat Rai and trustee Anil Mishra have resigned after the controversy snowballed, it notes. “The investigations must get to the bottom of the case and ascertain the truth in order to fix accountability and nail the real guilty. The BJP must explain the silences adopted by its central and state governments on the issue.”