Remove Pradhan, make Sonam Wangchuk education minister: Kejriwal to PM Modi
The AAP national convener says BJP-led NDA government should listen to the voices of the youth or be prepared to meet the same fate as the Congress did in 2014
Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convener Arvind Kejriwal on Thursday urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to remove Dharmendra Pradhan and appoint activist Sonam Wangchuk as Union Education Minister, as he extended support to the students' protest at Jantar Mantar over examination paper leaks.
Addressing the gathering at the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP)-led demonstration, where Wangchuk has been on hunger strike for 19 days, Kejriwal accused the Centre of failing to ensure accountability in examination leak cases and warned the government against ignoring the concerns of students.
" I urge the Prime Minister to remove Dharmendra Pradhan and appoint Sonam Wangchuk as the Union Education Minister," Kejriwal said.
Recalling his own experience of appearing for the IIT entrance examination, Kejriwal said students devote years of hard work to competitive exams but repeated paper leaks "shatter the confidence of an entire generation". He alleged that despite recurring examination irregularities, those responsible have largely escaped accountability.
Warning the BJP-led NDA government, Kejriwal said it should listen to the voices of students and the ongoing movement or risk facing public backlash.
The AAP delegation at the protest included Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh, Anurag Dhandha, Saurabh Bhardwaj, MLAs Sanjeev Jha, Kuldeep Yadav and Jarnail Singh. Sanjay Singh said he would participate in the proposed Parliament march on July 20 and appealed to citizens and political parties to support what he described as a fight for the future of India's youth.
The protest also received support from a Samajwadi Party delegation led by Lok Sabha MP Dimple Yadav, along with MPs Dharmendra Yadav, Mohibbullah Nadvi and Lakshmikant Nishad, Uttar Pradesh Samajwadi Party president Naresh Uttam, MLA Dr Ragini Sonkar and other party leaders.
Dimple praised Wangchuk's determination and expressed solidarity with students on hunger strike. She appealed to students, youth and opposition parties to join the July 20 Parliament march, saying her party would continue raising the issue inside Parliament until justice is delivered.
Farmer leader, SKU chief Rakesh Tikait also reached the protest site. He said, "We are with youths; we are closely watching this protest, and it should continue peacefully. I want to assure you, the dictatorship in this country will soon end, people do not have to worry."
The protest on Thursday saw a huge turnout and chaos at stage entry gates for several hours in the evening. The Delhi Police and Rapid Action Force personnel were deployed to manage the situation.
