Ranchi, Oct 21 (IANS): Jharkhand Minister Geetashree Oraon has been criticized by both the ruling and opposition parties for saying that candidates who wrote a test in Bhojpuri language will be disqualified.

The human resource development minister Sunday told reporters in Jamshedpur regarding putting on hold the result of a recent Teachers Eligibility Test (TET).

"Some students appeared in the examination and wrote in Bhojpuri language. The students who chose Bhojpuri as their language will be disqualified," the minister said.

She said: "Bhojpuri is not second language of the state and this is the reason students who chose Bhojpuri language for examination will be disqualified."

In Jharkhand, 11 languages have been accorded second language status. For the students who appeared in the examination, there was option of many languages, including Bhojpuri, to write the answer.

The TET examination was conducted by the Jharkhand Academic Council (JAC) a few months ago. Around 17,000 teachers will be appointed in the state.

The statement of the minister, who belongs to the Congress, has irked the ruling as well as the opposition parties.

Congress leaders were surprised at her statement.

"The minister's statement is childish. Why should students be punished for the fault of the JAC. We will take up the issue at our party level," a Congress leader told IANS.

"We will look into the issue under which circumstances the minister came out with such a statement," said Vinod Pandey, a leader of the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) which is leading the coalition government in the state.

Former assembly speaker and BJP leader C.P. Singh said: "This is a move to create disturbance in the prevailing social harmony. The state government has completed 100 days and there is nothing to celebrate. The minister passed such a statement to divert attention of the people from the failure of the state government."