Opposition rejects PM Modi paper leak assurance, demands Dharmendra Pradhan resignation

Opposition parties have rejected PM Narendra Modi's assurances of fast-track courts for paper leak cases, demanding Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan's resignation instead. Leaders from Congress, TMC, and SP called the fast-track court announcement a tactic to avoid political accountability

New Delhi: The Opposition leaders on Friday expressed dissatisfaction with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s video message where he assured the agitating students of introducing a strict law to check exam paper leaks, and asserted that accountability can be fixed only with the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.

Early on Thursday, PM Modi had directed the formation of fast-track courts to ensure severe punishment for those proven guilty in paper leak cases.

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Responding to the same, Congress MP P. Chidambaram asked: “What is the use of fast-track courts? There are fast-track courts for every subject. But there are no fast-track judges. There are not enough judges to fill the existing courts.”

“They don’t appoint the judges and they create a fast-track court. A fast-track court is not a building. It’s a judge, a court master, staff. When will they create that?” he said while speaking to reporters outside Parliament House.

Congress MP Manoj Kumar told IANS: “If PM Modi has made such a lengthy video seeking justice, then he should clearly state when Dharmendra Pradhan will resign because he is the one who is responsible (for exam irregularities). When will this new directive regarding the fast-track courts, be applicable to him (Pradhan)?”

Congress MP Jebi Mather echoed that no kind of assurances will work other than Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation.

Samajwadi Party MP Awadhesh Prasad also questioned why Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation had not been sought yet by the NDA leadership?

“PM Modi should first take the resignation of Dharmendra Pradhan and then reach out to the students,” he told IANS.

Congress MP Mallu Ravi told IANS: “What the students are asking for, what Rahul Gandhi is asking for, what Akhilesh Yadav is asking for, and what the entire Opposition is asking for is the resignation of the Education Minister as a matter of government accountability. You (PM Modi) are conveniently forgetting that, avoiding the question, and trying to brief people on whatever you want.”

Congress MP Sukhdeo Bhagat remarked that “flowery speeches and language” are being used to reach out to the protesting students, instead of addressing the issue.

Speaking to IANS Trinamool Congress MP, Kirti Azad took a swipe at PM Modi’s assurance, saying “I look at his statement with the same enthusiasm with which he was going to deposit Rs 15 lakh in every bank account and when he had promised to bring back black money from abroad. I see the same enthusiasm when he says that action will be taken against all those responsible (for paper leaks). This action should be taken in 2024 (NEET leak).”

Further, Trinamool MP Saugata Roy also expressed dissatisfaction with the Prime Minister’s statement. “We want Dharmendra Pradhan to resign,” he maintained.

Meanwhile, BJP MP Madan Rathore welcomed PM Modi’s message, saying, “The government also made efforts, and it was successful in those. Secondly, PM Modi has said that we will introduce such a law and get it passed in the Cabinet so that examinations can be conducted on the lines of the UPSC and paper leaks can be prevented in the future.”