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Rahul Gandhi hits out at Centre over CBSE OSM row: ‘Attacks on me won’t absolve crimes’
Dharmendra Pradhan earlier called Rahul Gandhi ‘frustrated’, accusing LoP of consistently opposing India’s technological and scientific advancements.
The war of words between Rahul Gandhi and education minister Dharmendra Pradhan continued over the CBSE On-Screen Marking controversy, with the Union minister sharply criticising the Congress leader for alleging tampering in the Class 12 board examination results.
Pradhan said Gandhi’s remarks reflected frustration over repeated electoral defeats and accused him of consistently opposing India’s technological and scientific advancements.
"He (Rahul Gandhi) seems to have reached a different state of mind. Due to continuous electoral defeats, he appears frustrated. He opposed SIR, he used to oppose EVMs, and he opposed Digital India. He does not seem to stand with India’s scientific progress....politics can be done later. Right now, the most important thing is that the mental stress of these students and examinees should not increase further," said Pradhan while speaking to the reporters.
Also Read | Centre says ‘accept responsibility for CBSE OSM glitches, corrective measures underway’
Rahul Gandhi responded soon after, saying Pradhan’s “attack” would not stop him from demanding answers on behalf of 18.5 lakh students. Reiterating his questions over the CBSE OSM issue, Gandhi asked why COEMPT was awarded the contract despite the company previously being embroiled in controversy under another name.
He alleged that either proper background checks were not conducted or the concerns were deliberately ignored.
"Either you ran a background check and went ahead anyway - or you didn’t run one at all. Either way, you are complicit. As for responsibility - if the PM cared, he should have sacked you long ago for ruining the futures of lakhs of students," said Gandhi.
Also Read | ‘Denial is not answer’: Rahul Gandhi after CBSE rejects his claims on Coempt Edu Teck contract
Pradhan admits discrepancies occurred
Pradhan, on Thursday, said that the government acknowledges the discrepancies that took place during results, adding that it accepts responsibility and promises corrective measures.
“The government acknowledges some discrepancies, accepts responsibility, and promises corrective measures. Officials will ensure that no student query is left unresolved and accountability will be ensured at all levels…”
He also said that the board has begun the revaluation process for the Class 12 examinations and has top agencies, including IIT Kanpur and IIT Madras to oversee the OSM technology.
