John Brittas alleges CUET brought to deny admission to south Indian students, Dhankhar condemns
New Delhi (PTI): CPI(M) member John Brittas said on Monday that the CUET introduced by the Centre is to deny marks and admission to south Indian students in Delhi, which was immediately condemned by Rajya Sabha Chairperson Jagdeep Dhankar.
During the discussion over Motion of Thanks on the President's address, Dhankar intervened several times and raised objection to the statements made by Brittas, who said the Centre should entrust the state governments to conduct the test.
"I have studied in JNU. JNU has been conducting their test for 50 years without any leak. Now you introduced CUET (Common University Entrance Test).
"The only reason why you introduced CUET was because you see a lot of south India students getting admission in Delhi University. You have brought CUET to deny admission to south Indian students here," Brittas said.
Dhankar intervened and condemned his statement.
"You started with a very lofty quote of the oath and look where you have landed. In a country like ours, which is one, you are raising a different kind of voice. I strongly condemn it," he said.
Brittas raised the issue of paper leak and said the Centre should entrust the state governments to conduct the test.
"You brought all the exams to Delhi," Brittas said, making certain remarks against the RSS pracharaks.
Dhankar immediately intervened and asked to expunge the remarks which cannot be substantiated.
Brittas said some coaching institutions and beef companies have also given electoral bonds to BJP.
Immediately after his remark on electoral bonds, Dhankar and Brittas entered into an exchange of words.
Dhankar intervened during the speech and said Brittas has "lost his way", while the CPI(M) member said the chairperson is trying to derail him.
"You have completely lost your way. I can't derail you. You are derailing yourself.
"You are trying to create a mechanism whereby you can get publicity. Talk of substance. Make your contribution," Dhankar said.
Brittas said the prime minister and ministers take oath, which mentions working in the interest of all people without any discrimination.
He said the prime minister has broken his oath when he called Muslim "infiltrators". He said the BJP members should change their party symbol from lotus to bulldozer.
"Last time on the discussion on motion of thanks, I had said Siya Ram is not with you. You were with Nathu Ram Godse.
"You saw it in the election. Siya Ram left you. You have been defeated thoroughly in Faizabad. All the gods have deserted you," Brittas said.
The CPI(M) member continued to attack the ruling government over educational issues.
"Education for you is to invent a new past because every fascist believes that those who control the past control the future," he said.
Brittas said history has changed and Babri Masjid has been obliterated from the history of India.
"Tomorrow, the students will study that Gandhi ji died of flu or pneumonia and Nathu Ram came to take Gandhi ji to the hospital. Our students will be studying in History," Brittas said.
Dhankar again intervened when Brittas pointed towards BJD member Sasmit Patra whose party recently lost polls in Odisha assembly election.
"History of the BJP has been to eat all the allies," Brittas said.
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Kejriwal resorting to 'vendetta politics', says BJP after MP Sandeep Pathak booked
New Delhi (PTI): The BJP on Saturday accused Aam Aadmi Party's national convenor Arvind Kejriwal of vendetta politics after Punjab Police booked Rajya Sabha MP Sandeep Pathak, who recently defected to the BJP.
In an X post, BJP national spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla claimed that Kejriwal is misusing the Punjab Police to settle political scores, and Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has become a party to it.
"Two FIRs have been filed against Sandeep Pathak, who until recently was in the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) as a Rajya Sabha MP and general secretary (organisation). What is baffling is the shameless, brazen vendetta politics being pursued by Arvind Kejriwal, with Bhagwant Mann complicit in it," Poonawalla said.
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"It is clear this has been done out of vendetta politics by Kejriwal, who is extremely vengeful and vindictive, and misuses the Punjab Police to pursue such political vendetta," he alleged.
Questioning the timing of the FIRs, Poonawalla said, "If these cases existed from the beginning, why were FIRs not filed earlier? If he was corrupt, why was he kept in the party for so long, especially when he was the general secretary (organisation)? Has any new material surfaced in the last few days, or has the alleged corruption occurred only now?"
He alleged that Kejriwal has an "old habit" of targeting political opponents and dissenters.
"We have seen how he has used the police against rivals, including Congress leaders. This is his old habit," Poonawalla said, referring to the withdrawal of Rajya Sabha MP Harbhajan Singh's security.
Poonawalla claimed that several leaders who had left AAP over the years, including Yogendra Yadav, Mayank Gandhi, Ashish Khetan, Ashutosh and Alka Lamba, were "hounded".
He accused the party of failing to introspect.
"Instead of introspecting on how they have changed -- from Anna to Lalu, from Lokpal to corruption -- they are indulging in vendetta politics, trying to victimise people using the strong arm of the law. This reflects an Emergency-like mindset and a dictatorial, Hitlerian mindset," he said.
According to sources, two FIRs have been lodged against Pathak under non-bailable sections.
No further details about the FIRs have been disclosed yet.
On April 24, the AAP suffered a jolt when seven of its 10 Rajya Sabha MPs quit, alleging that Arvind Kejriwal's party has strayed from its principles, values and core morals.
Of the seven MPs -- who were Pathak, Raghav Chadha, Ashok Mittal, Harbhajan Singh, Rajendra Gupta, Vikramjit Sahney and Swati Maliwal -- six were from Punjab.
Later, Rajya Sabha Chairman C P Radhakrishnan officially accepted their merger with the BJP, reducing AAP's strength in the Upper House to three.
