New Delhi, May 16 -- Amid the NEET cancellation row, the Congress on Saturday alleged that under the Modi government, the 'Amrit Kaal' is proving to be "Mrit Kaal (era of death)" for students preparing for recruitment examinations and demanded Education minister Dharmendra Pradhan's resignation.
The Opposition party claimed that Pradhan doesn't appear to be cut out for the task and said that while Prime Minister Narendra Modi gives great publicity to his annual "Pariksha pe Charcha extravaganza", what is needed is "Pariksha ki Samiksha (review of exams)".
Taking a swipe at Modi, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said he must hold a "Pariksha leaks pe charcha (discussion on exam leaks)", asserting that mere silence will achieve nothing.
"Under the Modi government, the 'Amrit Kaal' is proving to be 'Mrit Kaal' for students preparing for recruitment examinations," Kharge said in a post in Hindi on X.
"According to reports, several students have committed suicide due to the trauma caused by the NEET paper leak scandal. Ritik Mishra from Lakhimpur Kheri, 20-year-old Anshika Pandey from Delhi, Pradeep Meghwal from Jhunjhunu, Rajasthan, and a student from Bengaluru residing in Goa -- all have taken this tragic, suicidal step," Kharge said.
"Some had harboured this dream since childhood; others staked everything on fulfilling their families' expectations, spending years in preparation. Yet, the Modi government's corrupt and incompetent system has trampled upon their dreams," he said.
Under the Modi regime, more than 90 examination papers have been leaked, he claimed, adding that over 90 million students and their families have been adversely affected.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Saturday also demanded that Prime Minister Narendra Modi should immediately sack Education minister Dharmendra Pradhan or take personal accountability, and alleged that the "BJP-RSS nexus" has destroyed India's education system.
The Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha said the hard work of 22 lakh NEET aspirants has gone to waste.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.