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Fee hike: Agitating students get Congress MP Pramod Tiwari’s support
Tiwari’s support comes close on the heels of the support extended by Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav to the AU students.
Senior Congress leader and Rajya Sabha MP Pramod Tiwari on Saturday extended his full support to the ongoing protest of students against Allahabad University’s decision to hike course fees from the 2022-23 academic session.
“I extend my moral, active and heartfelt support to the peaceful movement of students against the fee hike by Allahabad University. I urge the central university and the Union Ministry of Education to withdraw the fee hike with immediate effect,” he said while addressing mediapersons in Prayagraj.
Tiwari’s support comes close on the heels of the support extended by Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav to the AU students.
“Education is recognised as a fundamental right...and efforts are underway so that no hurdles come in the way of students to get education. However, the ‘manifold’ unnecessary fee hike by Allahabad University will deprive many students who belong to poor or middle-class families of higher education. This is against the government’s announcement that students should be encouraged to pursue education,” he claimed.
Tiwari said when the Congress was in power 27 crore people were brought above the poverty line. However, 23 crore people went below the poverty line due to the wrong economic policies of the present BJP-led government.
“The income of over 84% of the population has declined. At such a time, this fee hike is unreasonably unfortunate, and an anti-youth decision. Earlier, the country whose army was bigger was stronger and more powerful. Today, the country which has education becomes strong and prosperous,” he remarked.
Tiwari felt that the fee hike by Allahabad University, which is called the pride of the country and Oxford of the East, should be withdrawn immediately. “I will make a humble request to the students to undertake their movement completely peacefully and democratically. When Parliament is in session, I will raise this issue in Rajya Sabha as a priority,” he promised the protesting students.
Tiwari said that both the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Aam Aadmi Party were locked in a power struggle. “Last time in Gujarat, the BJP could not even touch 100 seats in the assembly and since then the situation has gone from bad to worse. Its popularity has waned and anti-incumbency has increased,” he claimed.
