The Congress party announced on Wednesday that it will hold countrywide protests on 28th August to oppose the Central government decision to hold NEET, JEE exams during the pandemic. The move is in line with determined opposition to this “dictatorial move” of the government, said KC Venugopal, AICC general secretary in a statement.
State units of the Congress will be holding protests on August 28 at 11 am in front of central government offices at state and district headquarters, he stated. In a statement, AICC general secretary said that lakhs of students and parents from across the country are rightfully agitating and demanding postponement of the JEE-NEET exams, scheduled to be held in September. He said the government’s decision to hold these exams during the coronavirus crisis has created huge concern among the students and parents.
“Apart from the very obvious vulnerability to and risk of infection, the decision to hold the exams will undoubtedly make it increasingly difficult for students to appear for the exams due to the availability of limited transport and lodging during the pandemic. “While holding exams during COVID-19 crisis has put the students in a state of extreme mental stress, the grim flood situation in states like Assam and Bihar will further put students from those states at a severe disadvantage,” he stated.
Venugopal said that all these protest gatherings will take place following strict social distancing protocols issued by the respective health and civic authorities. He informed that the party has also decided to organise a massive nationwide online campaign, #SpeakUpForStudentSaftey on the same day from 10 am onwards, through videos and posts protesting this decision, on any of the social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Youtube.
Randeep Surjewala, Congress chief spokesperson said that the health and safety of 25 lakh students are being jeopardised in the ensuing JEE, NEET exams as students are protesting across the country. He also wondered why the government was “refusing to listen to their grievances, deliberate upon them and find a solution acceptable to all”.
