AGARTALA:
Tripura’s Education Minister Ratan Lal Nath has become the target of not only his own party, but of the opposition as well. Three days after Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA Arun Chandra Bhowmik asked Nath to step down and called for his resignation, the Pradesh Youth Congress, on July 25, levelled allegations against him for destroying the education system in the state.
Staging a dharna with black flags in front of the residence of Nath in Agartala, Md Sahajahan Islam, vice president of Youth Congress, said the state is facing severe crisis of teachers, and instead of attending classes, the students have been compelled to get out on the streets and protest against the complete failure of the system.
“Everyone is aware that the education system in the state has collapsed. From different schools, students are blocking roads, and holding protests demanding appointment of teachers. There is a crisis of teachers across the state,” he said.
Accusing the education minister of being clueless how to tackle the situation, the Congress youth wing also demanded his resignation.
“The education minister has no idea how to solve the problem. We urge the education minister to immediately step down from his post and save the future of the students,” he stated.
Islam also said that despite many aspirants clearing the Teacher Eligibility Test (TET) in the state, the education department is not recruiting them.
“One teacher in the Udaipur subdivision of Tripura’s Gomati district was assigned to hold eight classes in a day. Why are such things happening? He (Nath) miserably failed in running the education department and destroyed it. He should immediately step down. Not only us, but an MLA of BJP too demanded the same,” he said.
Later, however, the agitating members of the Youth Congress were arrested after a huge contingent of police personnel rushed to the spot.
Earlier, on July 22, BJP MLA Bhowmik, who is from Belonia Assembly Constituency in South district, had publicly sought the removal of Nath after the latter transferred two assistant professors from Iswar Chandra Vidyasagar College that falls under the former’s constituency.