Amid a growing chorus against holding of JEE and NEET exams, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Sunday took a jibe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi for not addressing the issue during his radio programme Mann Ki Baat.
Taking to Twitter, Rahul Gandhi wrote: "JEE-NEET aspirants wanted the PM do Pariksha Pe Charcha but the PM did Khilone Pe Charcha."
While the NEET is slated to be held on September 13, engineering entrance exam JEE-Main is scheduled between September 1-6.
This is not the first the Rahul Gandhi has voiced his opinion to defer the Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) and the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET). On August 28, Rahul Gandhi had urged the government to hold a conversation with students over the issue of conducting NEET and JEE amid the coronavirus pandemic and take a decision after arriving at a consensus.
"NEET-JEE aspirants' safety should not be compromised due to the failures of the government. Government must listen to all stakeholders and arrive at a consensus," he had tweeted with the hashtag 'Speak Up For Student Safety'.
With the tweet, Gandhi had also tagged a video of him urging the government to listen to students and take the decision only after reaching a consensus. "You are the students and you are going to take this country to new heights. Everybody understands what has happened over the last three or four months," the former Congress chief said in the video.
Alleging that the government has been incompetent, he asked why the Centre should force anything on students. "It is important that the government listens to the students, they are wise, they have the interest of this country at heart and any decision that is made with regard to these exams is made after a conversation and after a consensus has been developed and this is my message to the government," he said. Gandhi urged the government to have a conversation with students and resolve this issue peacefully.
Various opposition parties, including the Congress, have demanded that the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) and the Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) be deferred due to the COVID-19 pandemic and floods in parts of the country, even as the Union government has made it clear that they will be held as per schedule with due precautions.
Six ministers of opposition-ruled states on Friday also moved the Supreme Court seeking review of its order permitting the Centre to conduct NEET and JEE this year amid the persisting pandemic.
