Set KPSC in order before protesting over NEET, BJP tells Karnataka Congress

The Opposition BJP in Karnataka has questioned the moral right of the Congress to take part in a protest against the NEET question paper leak in Delhi, while the government here has failed to fix responsibility for the death of 11 youth in the stampede near M. Chinnaswamy Stadium and for the lathi-charge on unemployed youth in North Karnataka who were protesting the delay in recruitment for government jobs.

In separate media interactions, BJP State president B.Y. Vijayendra and Leader of the Opposition R. Ashok launched a counter-attack at the Congress for attacking the Prime Minister over issues related to the youth of the country and maintained that the Congress government in Karnataka should first set the Karnataka Public Service Commission (KPSC) in order.

Mr. Vijayendra alleged that the Opposition parties in the country were using the NEET examination issue as a pretext “to create unrest and anarchy”.

He claimed that although the Union government responded immediately to the examination irregularities by conducting a re-examination and ensuring transparency through reforms, the Congress and its allies were trying to “derive political mileage” from the issue.

Particularly targeting Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, he said, “Mr. Gandhi was abroad for 15 to 20 days without showing any concern towards the NEET issue. But soon after his return to India, he staged a protest only as a publicity stunt.”

He said the Union government had clearly expressed its willingness to hold a comprehensive discussion on the issue for as many hours as required in both Houses of Parliament.

However, instead of participating in the debate, the Opposition had chosen to create disturbances on the streets, he alleged. Mr. Ashok accused Mr. Rahul Gandhi of “fleeing from the Lok Sabha” instead of speaking on NEET. “He has fled and struck a match-fixing deal with the Cockroach Janta Party. The CJP members are not coming forward for talks, and Mr. Gandhi is not attending the session,” he alleged.