While addressing a meeting of Congress chief ministers via video-conferencing, Interim Congress president Sonia Gandhi lashed out at the Centre for not dealing with students' problems and the NEET, JEE exams 2020 issue.
Sonia Gandhi, in a meeting held on August 26, said, "We have to work and fight together against Central government. Students' problems and NEET and JEE exams issue has been dealt with uncaringly by the Centre."
Gandhi raised the issues concerning GST dues of states, the draft Environment Impact Assessment notification and National Education Policy.
The Congress president said that the Centre’s National Education Policy is a "setback to secular and scientific values and reveals insensitivity of the NDA government."
The veteran leader also accused the Narendra Modi government of weakening the laws made to protect the environment, public health sector, adding that the draft EIA legislation is "anti-democratic."
The meeting was attended by the Chief Ministers of the Congress-ruled states including Punjab CM Captain Amarinder Singh, Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot, Chhattisgarh CM Bhupesh Baghel, Puducherry CM V Narayanasamy and Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren.
The meeting via video-conferencing was also attended by West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee and Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray.
The opposition chief ministers have called for a joint effort to pressurise the government to defer the JEE, NEET exams 2020 amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
On her turn, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said that opposition ruled states should collectively approach the Supreme Court for deferring NEET, JEE Main exams to be held next month.
The CM said that she had raised her concerns with the Prime Minister. "The exams are in September. Why should the lives of students be put at risk? We have written to the PM, but there has been no response. If the PM does not listen to us, then we all (states) collectively should approach the Supreme Court," she said.
Banerjee said that apart from the movement of trains being hampered, the COVID-19 pandemic has also had a negative impact on the mental health of the students. "We stand by our students, whatever help they require, we are willing to do it," she further said.
Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren said that the ruling party BJP is using central agencies against the Opposition, and undermining the federal structure.
Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray said that "we should decide whether we have to fight or fear the Centre."
On his turn, Punjab CM Amarinder Singh urged all the chief ministers to go to PM Modi and apprise him of revenue loss and the current situation in states.
This comes amid demands from students and parents to postpone the entrance exams in view of the surge in COVID-19 cases. On August 17, the Supreme Court dismissed a petition seeking the postponement of the NEET and JEE scheduled to be held in September. Several Indian political leaders have also called for the postponement of NEET, JEE Mains 2020 until the situation becomes conducive to hold the exams.
On August 25, the National Testing Agency clarified that the exams will be held as scheduled earlier and there will be no delay in the conduction.
