I offer my apologies: Uttarakhand BJP chief on 'objectionable' remarks against students
Uttarakhand BJP chief Mahendra Bhatt on Sunday apologised after facing backlash from the Congress and other organisations for allegedly using objectionable language regarding students following Dharmendra Pradhan's resignation as Union education minister over the NEET paper leak issue.
In a social media post, Bhatt said, "If any word or the way I phrased my statement yesterday inadvertently hurt anyone's sentiments, I regret it and offer my apologies." He clarified that it was not his intention to hurt anyone's feelings.
The video, which surfaced on the internet on Saturday, created a furore with Congress alleging that Bhatt had insulted thousands of youths and students who were raising their voices against alleged irregularities in examinations and demanding an unconditional apology.
State Congress President Ganesh Godiyal remarked that hearing Bhatt's abusive language made it evident how deeply upset he was over Pradhan's resignation.
Godiyal also reminded Bhatt that Premchand Aggarwal had previously been forced to resign as a minister due to the use of similar abusive language.
"This reflects your attitude towards students and the people here. You should apologise before this matter escalates further," the Congress leader said.
He added that if this did not happen, students and youths would stage a sit-in protest outside Bhatt's residence until the demand was met.
However, Bhatt released a video earlier in the day stating that the opposition was misrepresenting his statement, asserting that he had not used the kind of language attributed to him.
Manveer Singh Chauhan, the state BJP's media in-charge, stated that the party president's remarks regarding Pradhan's resignation were being misinterpreted.
Recently, a case of an alleged question paper leak at Uttarakhand Technical University (UTU) came to light.
The Congress has been consistently targeting the Pushkar Singh Dhami-led government over alleged irregularities in various recruitment examinations.
The state government, however, has stated that it has adopted a policy of zero tolerance regarding question paper leaks, implemented a stringent anti-cheating law, and sent several accused individuals to jail in connection with such cases.
