Centre Used Police and ‘Hired Goons’ Against Students Seeking Justice, Alleges Vikas Hegde
Kundapur: Alleging that students aspiring for a better future had been subjected to injustice in the NEET controversy, District Congress spokesperson K. Vikas Hegde accused the Central government of using police and “hired goons” against students who were peacefully demanding justice.
Speaking at a protest organised by the Kundapur and Kota Block Congress Committees at Shastri Circle on Wednesday evening against the alleged irregularities in the NEET examination and question paper leak, Hegde claimed that democratic values had steadily declined since the BJP-led Central government came to power in 2014, creating what he described as an atmosphere resembling an undeclared Emergency.
He alleged that the government had failed to understand the aspirations and concerns of students and appealed to people across political affiliations to support their struggle. Hegde also called for a united movement to restore the Common Entrance Test (CET) system, which, he said, had provided educational opportunities to students from poor and middle-class families.
Vikas Challenges Kota Srinivas Poojary and Kiran Kumar Kodgi
Hegde criticised MP Kota Srinivas Poojary and MLA Kiran Kumar Kodgi, alleging that they had earlier politicised the hijab issue at a Kundapur college by creating communal divisions among students, but had remained silent over the NEET controversy and the alleged assault on students.
He challenged both leaders to publicly condemn the alleged attack on students and the Centre’s “anti-student” actions if they genuinely cared about students’ welfare. Urging them to rise above religious politics, he said they should stand in support of students’ future. He also asserted that despite repeated attempts to target Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, the latter had continued to raise his voice for the students.
Congress leader Molahalli Dinesh Hegde alleged that social activist Sonam Wangchuk had been on a fast for the past 20 days in support of students, but the Central government had failed to respond and had instead shifted him to a hospital against his wishes. He also condemned the alleged detention of Congress leaders, including AICC President Mallikarjun Kharge, Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi, and Priyanka Gandhi, terming it an attack on democratic values.
Former Taluk Panchayat member Ashok Poojary Beejadi said that the NEET issue had gone beyond an examination controversy and had evolved into a nationwide public movement. He alleged that while the Constitution guarantees citizens the right to peaceful protest, the Central government was attempting to suppress dissent through force, thereby undermining the constitutional principles.
KPCC member Malyadi Shivaram Shetty, Kota Block Congress President Timma Poojary Manur, and Taluk Guarantee Committee President H. Hariprasad Shetty Kanmakki also addressed the gathering.
As part of the protest, demonstrators burned an effigy of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan to express their anger.
Among those present were State Congress Social Media Cell Vice-President Chandrashekar Shetty, District President Roshan Kumar Shetty, NSUI District President Saurabh Ballal, Assembly Constituency President Sujan Shetty, District Youth Congress Vice-President Shamanth S. Karkera, NSUI leader Vivek Kundapur, Minority Cell President Munaf Kodi, and several Congress leaders and party workers.