BJP fast for Inter justice

Hyderabad: The Telangana state BJP president will sit on an indefinite fast from Monday demanding dismissal of Education Minister G Jagadish Reddy and Board of Intermediate Education (TSBIE) Secretary Dr A Ashok for the Intermediate results muddle.

Addressing the media along with former Union Minister Bandaru Dattatreya on Sunday, party national general secretary P Muralidhar Rao said the decision to fast has been taken in protest against the state government apathy towards continuing suicides of Intermediate students and to fight for justice.

He said the suicides of Intermediate students was a matter of great concern. The spate of suicides by students clearly indicates their disappointment with the government.

The Intermediate results fiasco is not what had happened accidentally overnight. It is happening for the last six months.

The BJYM was the first to point out the errors organising dharnas and protests. But there is gross negligence on the part of the Board as well as the government, he said.

Muralidhar Rao said the half-hearted actions of the government demonstrate its lack of intent to understand the magnitude of the situation.

All the departments of the government have been functioning to shield the culprits, he alleged.

He dismissed the findings of the government-appointed committee saying the committee finds fault with the Board and the Globarena in its analysis of the whole issue. It appears that the committee gave its report under duress.

The BJP leader also asked, "How will the students and parents gain confidence that they would get justice when the TSBIE Secretary and the Education minister continue to hold on to their posts?"

Muralidhar Rao reiterated his party's demands for fresh verification, and evaluation of the answer scripts of all the students who appeared in the examinations and issuance of marks memos to all afresh.

A probe by a sitting High Court Judge, compensation of Rs 25 lakh to the bereaved families of the students who have committed suicides are among other demands being made by the BJP.