Pics: Spoorthi Ullal
Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru (JS/DV)
Mangaluru, Mar 31: Senior politicians Janardhan Poojary of Congress and Krishna J Palemar of BJP on Thursday March 31 demanded the resignation of primary and secondary education minister Kimmane Ratnakar over the leak of second PU chemistry paper for a second time.
Addressing a press meet at the district Congress office here, Poojary said, "The state government has suspended 40 officials - what does it mean? Suspension is nothing but less salary and leave. Now the question is, is this punishment for people who have played with the lives of lacs of students? Is this punishment enough?
"An exam is a burden not only for students but for parents too. Both parents and students eagerly wait for exams to get over, and only then do they get relief. Who is responsible for this lapse? Is it only the officers - doesn't the minister have any responsibility?
"The suspended officials will be back after some days. This is what has happened till now. We have seen such instances before too. I agree that Kimmane Ratnakar is a good person, but what do these students and parents got to do with his goodness?" he said.
Addressing himself to minister Kimmane Ratnakar, Poojary said, "If you have any sense of responsibility, you should resign on moral grounds. This lapse has caused damage to the Congress party and to the image of the state government. Is power more important than image of party and the government? I urge you to resign immediately. Do you not feel that by not resigning, you are cheating the party which gave you power?
"Look back in the history of Congress - Lal Bahadur Shastri resigned over a train accident, the late Madhav Rao Scindia resigned over a single plane crash. There are not one or two but many such instances. If you (Kimmane Ratnakar) resign now, you will be an example in history. You have enjoyed power for three years, and still two more years are left. If you do not resign now, you will definitely lose the next election," he said.
Addressing himself to chief minster Siddaramaiah, he said, "I ask the CM, is suspending 40 officers the only punishment? Does this not come under criminal act? Is it not the responsibility of the government to file FIR and conduct an enquiry against them? If you (CM) do not take stern action today, do you not feel you are not fulfilling your responsibility?
On BJP's demand for Ratnakar's resignation, he said, "This (question paper leak) has been happening since 2001 and has happened during the tenures of all parties in power. Of all the people, BJP's Vishweshwar Kageri is demanding resignation. Such incident had happened in 2012 when Kageri was the education minister. Did he resign then?"
He further added, "The CM should ask for Ratnakar's resignation, and if Ratnakar does not resign, then the CM should expel him from the cabinet. This will bring confidence in people. If this is not done, it will worsen the damage that has already happened. If you were in the opposition, would you not have demanded resignation of the minister concerned?"
"BJP's Jagadish Shettar said in the Assembly that a person called Suresh Tunga should be arrested and enquired, then the people involved in this mischief would be exposed. Why cannot the CM ask who Tunga is and get more information from the BJP? The case was given to CID - is the CID not capable of opening their mouths and finding out who is behind this?
"From March 21 to March 31, 10 days have passed, but the CID has not been able to find any clue. Has the CID become so inefficient? Home minister Parameshwara retorted on TV whether enquiry could be done in one day - Let me tell him, it has been 10 days and not one. Your department has not even given an interim report in 10 days. People have faith on you, but does the CID not know there is a criminal procedure?" he questioned.
"This should not continue. It is the CM and minister's responsibility to see that it is nipped in the bud. Immediate action must be taken. A message should be conveyed to the people that the government has the power not to allow such offenders to get away. People have given you (CM) power and they know to take it back too. So act wisely. What would you do if there were students of second PU in your home? Understand that people are not fools," he advised the chief minister and his cabinet of ministers, adding that the case should be investigated on fast track and the guilty should be punished without delay.
Asked whether the director of PU board Pallavi Akurathi was not responsible, Poojary said she too should be sacked.
'Leak Bhagya' by CM: Krishna Palemar
Meanwhile, in another press meet, former minister and BJP leader Krishna J Palemar critcized the state government over the leak of second PU chemistry re-exam paper and said it was a 'Leak Bhagya' from the CM to the students, in a sarcastic reference to other government schemes like Anna Bhagya and Ksheera Bhagya. He also demanded education minister Kimmane Ratnakar's resignation.
Addressing a press meet at the district BJP office, Palemar said, "The state government has offered "Leak Bhagya' to the PU students. The chemistry exam was scheduled for March 21, then postponed to March 29 because of paper leak and then again to March 31. Even today the paper has leaked. It is for the first in the history of the state that question papers of the same exam have leaked twice. This itself shows the administration has no proper hold on the happenings in the state.
"Students are facing injustice. Who will be responsible for this? As many as 1.74 lac are writing the Chemistry exam, and it is a question of their future. It shows the government has no sense of responsibility. Why cannot the government make proper arrangements to secure the question papers?" he said.
"In April there is JEE exam and then CET. Students have no time to prepare. If the exams had finished by now, they would have got time to prepare themselves for the competitive exam. It is nothing but maladministration," he added.
Demanding Kimmane Ratnakar's resignation, he said, "The minister should resign. Earlier when such incidents had happened, the ministers concerned had owned responsibility and resigned, but this minister is still holding on to his post. A case should be filed against him."
Umanath Kotian, Nithin Kumar and others were present.