The Lok Sabha, amidst pandemonium, today passed by voice vote the stringent law against examination paper leaks. It will now go to the Rajya Sabha, and after the President gives her assent, the amendment bill will become law. The bill received support from all political parties.
However, the two-day debate in Lok Sabha witnessed pandemonium, when opposition leaders levelled allegations against the Home Minister Amit Shah on police action against protesters. Yesterday, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra had alleged that the director of IIT Madras Prof. V. Kamakoti was a “gomutra (cow urine) expert” and he had been made a member of the Nandan Nilekani-led task force on exam reforms.
BJP MP Anurag Thakur rebutted saying Prof. V. Kamakoti’s educational qualification was more than the educational degrees of all members of Gandhi family combined. There was pandemonium when Priyanka Gandhi alleged that the new Education Minister Pralhad Joshi had supported the rapists who were sent to jail for raping Bilkis Bano in Gujarat. Joshi challenged Priyanka to authenticate her allegation.
There is no doubt the anti-paper leak bill will get a safe passage in both Houses of Parliament. The noose of law will be tightened against paper leak mafias. The Centre’s intent and policy is clear. Those who indulge in paper leak will not be spared and justice will be ensured at the earliest. Sadly, the focus of most of the opposition leaders was on Jantar Mantar and allegations of lathi charge and alleged firing on protesters. Their sole motive was to corner the government on this issue. Prime Minister Modi’s focus is on making an approach towards the new generation on the examination issue.
Manoeuvring is the normal in politics, but the need of the hour is to re-instill trust in the minds of students and guardians in the examination system. The Centre must ensure that students will not have to face the scourge of paper leak and mass copying. All candidates must get a level playing field.
Let SC decide, who were students, who were criminals
Meanwhile, another issue has cropped up. The Supreme Court has issued interim orders on police action against protesters. The bench of Chief Justice Suryakant, Justice Joymalya Bagchi and Justice V. restrained states from taking any coercive action against protesters and directed them to release those under 18 on condition that none should have any criminal antecedents.
The top court indicated that it might constitute an SIT headed by a former Supreme Court Judge, so that a fair and independent probe can be made. The court directed all states where protests were held to preserve CCTV footage, drone recordings, body-camera footage, wireless communication records, PCR logs and other digital evidence pertaining to the protests. It also ordered that any digital data collected on protesters be preserved but not brought into the public domain.
The apex court will hear the case on August 3. Meanwhile, Cockroach Janata Party has opposed some parts of the apex court order. CJP spokesperson Sourav Dass said that the Centre had promised unconditional release of all protesters and if the apex court makes changes in that agreement, it will not be acceptable. It will be better if the Supreme Court listens to all parties, order investigation of lathi charge on students and also against those who pelted stones at police.
Evidence is available on camera, everything is on record, there are eyewitnesses. The state must learn lessons from this protest on how to handle demonstrations. Accountability must be fixed, anti-social elements must be identified and the process of taking action against them must be decided. The Supreme Court must ensure that there should be no complaints from any side.