Students in Gandhinagar, Gujarat have been protesting against the alleged malpractices that happen during the recently conducted Bin Sachivalay examinations. The protesting students have been demanding the cancellation of the non-secretariat clerk examination. As the agitation entered its third day on Friday, the convicted Congress leader Hardik Patel and Congress supported Gujarat MLA Jignesh Mevani reached Swarnim Park, where the students had been protesting, to extend their support to the students.
As the duo tried and politicised the issue by criticising the central government, the students showed their disapproval on their presence by saying that they don’t care about these politicians and don’t even know why they were there.
#savegujaratstudent
कल तक जिस युवा नेता @HardikPatel_ को गुजरात का युवा अपने कंधों पर बिठाता था आज कोंग्रेस नेता बनते ही उस हार्दिक को गांधीनगर में धरने पर बैठे युवाओं ने Go back Hardik के नारों से रुक्सत कर दिया। #निष्ठुर_राजनीति!! @indiatvnews @INCGujarat @AmitChavdaINC pic.twitter.com/lukp5j2AYl— Nirnay Kapoor (@nirnaykapoor) December 5, 2019
Milan Rathod, an aspirant who had given the Bin Sachivalay exam said, “We don’t know why they are here. We don’t care about the politicians. We want them to leave. We only want students who are here, the ones who are sitting and listening are part of NSUI (student wing of the Indian National Congress).”
Another aspirant shared his pain and said that all students wanted to leave at night, but some stayed back because of the leaders. “We are happy with the SIT probe. We are waiting for its investigation to conclude. Here, they are only talking about where the central government went wrong. When asked about their plans to fulfil our demand for cancellation of the exam, they have no answers,” shared Dhaval Ahir, another aspirant.
Read: Man who slapped Hardik Patel at a rally in Gujarat explains why he did it
Hardik and Jignesh, however, tried to justify their presence by saying: “We are here only to motivate the students to fight for their rights. We are not trying to be the face of this protest. We will stay here till the students stay here,” said Hardik Patel while addressing the media.
On Thursday too, Hardik Patel who visited the site to extend his support was chased away by the students with “Hardik go back” slogans. In an embarrassing moment for the young Congress leader, students had interrupted his speech with their chants.
However, on Thursday night, the convicted Congress leader went back to the protest site at Swarnim Park near Mahatma Mandir and had addressed the students who were still there. He claimed that it was only some ‘elements’ who were chanting against him.
Last month on the 17th of November, there was an examination held for the recruitment of junior clerks and office assistants on behalf of Gujarat Secondary Service Preference Board. More than 10 lakh candidates had participated in this examination. The students have now alleged that there was malpractice in the examination and sought cancellation of the exam held for recruiting 3,910 non-secretariat clerks and office assistants.
The state government on Thursday announced the formation of a four-member SIT under a senior bureaucrat to probe alleged irregularities, including mass-copying and paper leak.
While a section of candidates welcomed the government’s move, others are sticking to their demand for cancellation of the exam. Amidst all this, Congress leader’s attempt to use this situation to their benefit backfired as the students vociferously communicated their disapproval on their interference in the issue.
