Telangana BJP president Dr. K. Laxman was assured out of his five-day-old hunger strike by minister of state (MoS) home affairs Hansraj Ahir after his health began deteriorating in Hyderabad on Friday.
Dr. Laxman was on a hunger strike, first at his party’s office and later at Nizam’s Institute of Medical Sciences (NIMS) where he was “forcibly” shifted to end his hunger strike.
The strike was in protest against the 25 deaths of students who appeared in Board of Intermediate Examinations (BIE) due to what Dr Laxman alleges is horrible evaluation of exam sheets in the second year of their term. Most of these students had done well in the first year.
Earlier, Dr K Laxman had called upon his party’s cadre to besiege the official residence of Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao and gave a call for state-wide strike. He also demanded the dismissal of state education minister G Jagadish Reddy, a swift action and a judicial inquiry against Globarena Technologies, the IT firm whose services were hired by BIE.
After the suicide of the students, a three-member panel was formed by the state government to inquire into the lapses committed in the intermediate results. However, the findings of the panel remained vague, unclear and inconclusive in establishing the culprits. It is being alleged that the findings of the panel were suppressed.
“No step has been initiated by TRS government to bring justice to lakhs of students, whose careers have been put at stake. No action is taken against Globararena Technologies, whose crime has been established and who have relations with the son of CM K Chandrasekhar Rao. Instead, the government is trying to shield the private firm,” protested Dr Laxman.
Ram Madhav, BJP national general secretary demanded a judicial enquiry conducted with a sitting High Court judge on the issue. He informed that BJP President Amit Shah has called upon its state unit to fight for the rights of hapless students and their guardians and parents.
Dr Laxman assured to the students that BJP will fight for the students but urged them not to take the extreme actions of giving up their lives. He said he will continue with his hunger strike till the justice is delivered to the students.
Ahir said his party was worried at Dr Laxman’s deteriorating health condition and on their assurance that they wouldn’t slacken off the continuing stir on behalf of traumatized families of students, Dr Laxman agreed to end his fast.
A noticeable aspect of this tragic turn of events is the total silence of Lutyens Media who only seem active to portray the Centre in poor light.
