Udupi: Karnataka Legislative Council member Manjunath Bhandary on Wednesday alleged that the BJP-led Union government has weakened the democratic tradition of discussion and debate by failing to address the concerns of students protesting over issues related to the National Testing Agency (NTA). Addressing a press conference at the Congress Bhavan in Brahmagiri, the Congress leader said the Centre had ignored repeated demands from students seeking reforms in the examination system.
Bhandary said democracy thrives on dialogue and meaningful debate, but claimed the Narendra Modi-led government had failed to engage with students despite protests continuing for several weeks.
Alleges Centre ignored students’ demands
Speaking to reporters, Bhandary said lakhs of students from across the country had come together demanding that their grievances relating to the NTA be heard.
He alleged that the agency, which was established to conduct examinations in a transparent and fair manner, had come under scrutiny following the paper leak controversy. According to him, the controversy caused distress among several students, with reports of nearly 20 students attempting suicide.
Instead of initiating discussions on reforms in the education system, the Union government had chosen to ignore the students’ concerns, he alleged.
Bhandary also criticised the police action against students who attempted to march towards Parliament seeking dialogue with the government.
Criticism over handling of protests
Referring to social activist Sonam Wangchuk’s hunger strike and the students’ protest march, Bhandary said peaceful demonstrators were prevented from reaching Parliament.
He alleged that the manner in which police handled the students was unacceptable and maintained that the protesters were exercising their democratic right to seek solutions to their concerns.
According to Bhandary, Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge had extended support to the protesting students, while peaceful demonstrations were allegedly met with arrests.
He further claimed that before 2014, the BJP had supported student movements but was now taking a different stand. He also referred to Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, stating that he had previously participated in student protests during his association with the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP).
Remarks on government publicity
Bhandary also criticised what he described as the increasing personalisation of government schemes and publicity.
He claimed that while travelling by air, he noticed the Prime Minister’s photograph printed on a flight ticket and remarked that such emphasis on publicity should instead be replaced with efforts to engage students through dialogue.
The Congress leader said the government should invite students for discussions and address their genuine concerns rather than focusing on promotional activities.
He reiterated that the Congress party stood with students seeking reforms and transparency in the examination system.
Raises concerns over electoral roll revision
Commenting on the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, Bhandary said the Congress had no objection to the exercise being conducted in Karnataka.
However, he expressed concern over reports of large-scale deletion of voters’ names in some other states and said such incidents should not be repeated in Karnataka.
He stated that Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee president D.K. Shivakumar had instructed party workers across districts to ensure that no eligible voter, particularly those from minority communities or those unfamiliar with the revision process, was deprived of their voting rights.
Seeks probe into Ram Mandir theft case
Bhandary also referred to the alleged theft case linked to the Ram Mandir, stating that the matter should be investigated thoroughly.
He said the government should take responsibility for ensuring transparency, as the Prime Minister had personally inaugurated the temple. Those responsible for any wrongdoing should be identified through a fair investigation and punished in accordance with the law, he said.
The press conference was attended by District Congress president Ashok Kumar, Block Congress president Ramesh Kanchan, District Mahila Congress president Jyothi Hebbar, Dinesh Hegde Molahalli, Prasadraj Kanchan, Kishan Hegde Kolkebailu, Udaya Shetty Muniyal, and other party leaders.