Daijiworld Media Network – Dehradun
Dehradun, Jul 27: Uttarakhand BJP president Mahendra Bhatt has apologised after facing criticism from the Congress and several organisations over his alleged objectionable remarks about students amid protests demanding the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over the NEET paper leak controversy.
In a post on social media on Sunday, Bhatt said he regretted any offence caused by his remarks.
"If any word or the way I phrased my statement yesterday inadvertently hurt anyone's sentiments, I regret it and offer my apologies," he said, adding that it was never his intention to hurt anyone.
The apology came after a video of Bhatt's remarks, made on Saturday, went viral on social media. The Congress accused him of insulting thousands of students and youth who have been protesting against alleged irregularities in examinations and demanded an unconditional apology.
State Congress president Ganesh Godiyal said Bhatt's remarks reflected frustration over growing demands for the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. He also recalled that former minister Premchand Aggarwal had earlier been forced to resign after making similar remarks.
Godiyal urged Bhatt to apologise before the controversy escalated further and warned that students and youth organisations would stage a sit-in protest outside his residence if he failed to do so.
In a video statement released on Sunday, Bhatt accused the opposition of twisting his comments and maintained that he had not used the language attributed to him.
State BJP media in-charge Manveer Singh Chauhan also defended Bhatt, alleging that his remarks had been taken out of context.
The controversy comes amid the fallout from an alleged question paper leak at Uttarakhand Technical University (UTU). The Congress has repeatedly criticised the Pushkar Singh Dhami-led government over alleged irregularities in recruitment and competitive examinations.
The state government has maintained that it follows a zero-tolerance policy towards paper leaks, has enacted a stringent anti-cheating law and has arrested several accused in connection with such cases.
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