Naveen Patnaik seeks ouster of Odisha Education Minister amid textbook error controversy
Bhubaneswar, July 27 (IANS) The Biju Janata Dal (BJD) President and Leader of Opposition (LoP) in the Odisha Assembly, Naveen Patnaik on Monday demanded the resignation of Odisha School and Mass Education minister Nityananda Gond over the extensive publication errors found in new textbooks for Class I to VIII in the state.
Speaking to media persons, Patnaik said, “As you know, there have been a number of mistakes in textbooks of the students in our state. He (Education Minister Nityananda Gond) should follow the example of Dharmendra Pradhan and resign from his post as education minister. That is what the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) has been demanding for the past two or three weeks.”
Notably, after the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over the NEET paper leak issue, the Opposition parties in Odisha have intensified their demand for the resignation of Odisha School and Mass Education Minister Gond over the school textbook error issue in the state.
Earlier, Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (OPCC) President, Bhakta Charan Das on Sunday warned that if the state government does not take any action over the demand for the resignation of Gond in the next seven days, the Congress will call for an Odisha Bandh.
He has also threatened to gherao the residence of the Odisha School and Mass Education Minister, seeking his resignation.
Countering the Opposition, Odisha Mines, Commerce and Transport Minister, Bibhuti Bhusan Jena on Monday dismissed Naveen Patnaik’s demand for the resignation of Nityananda Gond in line with Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, calling it baseless and politically motivated.
The minister stated that seeking resignations is the Opposition’s routine approach.
Praising Pradhan, Jena said he acted swiftly in the examination paper leak case by ordering a CBI probe and ensuring students could reappear for the exam.
The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has also accused both the Opposition parties — BJD and Congress — of indulging in political opportunism.
–IANS
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