By IANS
Raipur : Chhattisgarh’s opposition parties Saturday demanded School Education Minister Ajay Chandrakar’s resignation for his allegedly insensitive remarks on the students of the government-run schools.
The minister reportedly remarked at a workshop Thursday: “People say the education of children is the government’s responsibility, but has the government produced these children?”
The Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) and the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) joined the Congress in seeking his ouster from the BJP ministry.
The Youth Congress activists took out a rally in this state capital while the CPI-M, NCP and even the Shiv Sena – a BJP ally – sought the minister’s immediate resignation for hurting the sentiments of thousands of poor parents who send their children to government schools.
However, Chandrakar reiterated Saturday: “My statement has been distorted.
“I said nothing on the lines of what is being projected. My statement was misread. I said that parents and government have to work together for improving the quality of education and to what extent public-private partnership can be useful,” the minister told reporters.
Congress leader and former chief minister Ajit Jogi has strongly objected to the minister’s alleged comment, saying it is “a reflection of the state government’s attitude towards poor families”.