Nashik, Aug 7 (SocialNews.XYZ) After the nationwide outrage and a 40-day student protest at Delhi's Jantar Mantar over the NEET paper leak, Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) Chief Raj Thackeray on Friday criticised the Union government, coaching institutes, and the education system during a press conference in Maharashtra's Nashik.
Addressing the media, Thackeray said that the protest at Jantar Mantar was merely the beginning of a larger public outburst.
"An agitation of this scale is taking place after many years. Not every parent had a child taking the NEET exam, but the anger displayed by the youth in Delhi reflected a broader societal frustration. I believe this outrage will grow even stronger in the coming days," he added.
Criticising the Union government's handling of the demonstrations, Thackeray said, "The protest at Jantar Mantar was being conducted peacefully, but the Union government provoked the situation. When the police used force against the protesting youth in Delhi, the movement reached every home. Parents and elders felt as though their own children were being beaten. I believe this issue stems from internal conflicts within the Bharatiya Janata Party that are now coming out in the open."
Taking a swipe at Maharashtra Minister Chandrakant Patil, the MNS Chief remarked that leaders should focus more on the plight of students in the state rather than administrative trivialities.
He raised concerns over the dominant culture of private coaching centres, pointing out how students enroll in classes immediately after Class 10, with these institutes effectively deciding college admissions.
"Students are sitting in coaching classes for eight hours a day instead of attending college. What role are colleges playing then? How is attendance being marked in colleges when students spend their entire day at coaching centres?" he asked.
While clarifying that not all coaching institutes are bad, Thackeray described the sector as a commercialised venture, alleging that the NEET paper leak originated through these coaching setups.
He urged the authorities and the Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis to intervene and hold such institutes accountable.
Thackeray also highlighted the issue of student suicides linked to the exam leak.
He noted that while 21 students across the country tragically ended their lives, Nashik resident Yash Gosavi—who died by suicide due to depression over the NEET paper leak—was left off the government's official list of victims.
Targeting former Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, the MNS Chief questioned the credibility of the Indian education system.
"Today’s youth have smartphones and observe global trends, leading many to seek higher education abroad. Indian parents spend nearly Rs 5 lakh crore annually on foreign education. Even Dharmendra Pradhan's daughter studied abroad. If the former Education Minister's own family lacks faith in the country's education system, why should ordinary parents have any?" he asked.
Source: IANS
Gopi Adusumilli is a Programmer. He is the editor of SocialNews.XYZ and President of AGK Fire Inc.
He enjoys designing websites, developing mobile applications and publishing news articles on current events from various authenticated news sources.
When it comes to writing he likes to write about current world politics and Indian Movies. His future plans include developing SocialNews.XYZ into a News website that has no bias or judgment towards any.
He can be reached at gopi@socialnews.xyz
This website uses cookies.
