Mumbai: CM Devendra Fadnavis on Thursday alleged that the student-led protests in the country seeking accountability over paper leaks have been infiltrated by those with vested interests.“It is seen that there are people in the protests who have come not for students’ demands. The agitators must pay attention to this,” he told reporters. He said the protests have attracted all kinds of people, even those hoping to gain popularity through reels. Asked about the attack on protesters by police in Delhi this Monday, Fadnavis said policemen were assaulted and pelted with stones. On the Thackeray cousins, Uddhav and Raj, announcing a rally in support of students, he said the two are searching for their parties’ identities through such agitations. Fadnavis alleged Maharashtra’s biggest teacher eligibility test (TET) scam was during the tenure of former CM Uddhav Thackeray. “It was not just a paper leak. Candidates who failed the test were made to pass. Ministers and IAS officers faced allegations,” he said. He said recently, his govt detected irregularities before a TET and acted swiftly, preventing a paper leak. “We took action against those responsible. Those who are hiding their own record should stop pointing fingers at others,” he said.He slammed opposition parties for shying away from discussions on education and reforms in the sector, saying they would otherwise have to answer for exam paper leaks in states governed by them. “Rahul Gandhi does not have the courage to debate education because he will have to explain paper leaks in Karnataka, Telangana, Punjab and Rajasthan. Every scam during their govts’ tenure will come out, and that is why they do not want a discussion,” he said. Defending the Centre, Fadnavis said the Union education budget had increased from about Rs 8,000 crore during UPA’s tenure to Rs 1.4 lakh crore now. The Centre had expanded premier institutions such as IITs and AIIMS, increased the number of seats, and created more opportunities in medical, engineering and management education, he pointed out.
