BRS sets September 7 deadline to Congress government to withdraw GO 97

The BRS has demanded that the Congress government withdraw GO 97 by September 7, backing protesting polytechnic students. The party warned of intensified agitation and raised concerns over the proposed shift of polytechnic colleges to the Young India Skill University.

Hyderabad: The BRS on Thursday demanded that the Congress government withdraw GO 97 by September 7, failing which it would step up the agitation and corner the government during the upcoming Assembly and Council sessions. The party extended support to the polytechnic students staging a dharna at Indira Park.

Speaking on the occasion, BRS deputy floor leader Talasani Srinivas Yadav said over one lakh students had been protesting for 20 days but the government had failed to respond. He stated that GO 97 threatened the future of polytechnic students and was intended to shift polytechnic colleges to the Young India Skill University, paving the way for their privatisation and possible acquisition of their assets.

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“If the government does not revoke GO 97, we will siege the Chief Minister’s residence,” the former Minister declared. He alleged that the government was conspiring to hand over or mortgage college properties to private individuals. He also questioned the move to close ITIs under the Labour Department and bring polytechnic colleges under its jurisdiction.

He ridiculed the State government’s decision to constitute another committee to look into the demands of the agitating polytechnic students as hilarious. Referring to the recent Gen Z protests that led to a Union minister’s resignation, he called on polytechnic students to draw inspiration from the movement and continue their fight.

BRS MLC Dasoju Sravan, who joined the protest, tore up a copy of GO 97 and accused Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy of playing with the lives of polytechnic students. He said the order stemmed from recommendations made by the State Education Commission headed by Aakunuri Murali and questioned why polytechnic education was being linked to the Skill University.

He said the university lacked adequate infrastructure and faculty to provide high-end technical training, but the government was putting the future of one lakh technical education students in jeopardy.