JEE-NEET aspirants shouldn't be at risk due to govt's failures: Cong

As the Congress held nationwide demonstrations against conducting JEE and NEET amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, and Priyanka Gandhi released messages targetting the Centre, saying that the safety of students must not be compromised due to the government's failures.

New Delhi: The Congress on Friday hit out at the Centre for its decision to hold NEET-JEE exams in September amid the COVID-19 pandemic, saying that the safety of the students should not be compromised due to the "failures of the government."

Congress interim president Sonia Gandhi, in her video message to aspirants, said, "You are our future, we depend on you to build a better India. Therefore, if any decision has to be taken regarding your future, it is important that it is taken with their concurrence."

Meanwhile, Rahul Gandhi too issued a message to the Centre: "This is my message to the Government of India. You have already caused enough destruction to them, you've hurt them. Please listen to them and resolve this issue peacefully."

• Students are our future, we depend on them to build a better India, therefore, if any decision has to be taken regarding their future it is important that it is taken with their concurrence.: Congress President Smt. Sonia Gandhi #SpeakUpForStudentSafety pic.twitter.com/Jf18cmykbd

  — Congress (@INCIndia) August 28, 2020 " class="align-text-top noRightClick twitterSection" data="

  Students are our future, we depend on them to build a better India, therefore, if any decision has to be taken regarding their future it is important that it is taken with their concurrence.: Congress President Smt. Sonia Gandhi #SpeakUpForStudentSafety pic.twitter.com/Jf18cmykbd

  — Congress (@INCIndia) August 28, 2020

  ">

  Students are our future, we depend on them to build a better India, therefore, if any decision has to be taken regarding their future it is important that it is taken with their concurrence.: Congress President Smt. Sonia Gandhi #SpeakUpForStudentSafety pic.twitter.com/Jf18cmykbd

  — Congress (@INCIndia) August 28, 2020

"You are students and you are going to take this country to a new heights. Everybody understands the mishandling of COVID, the devastation that has been caused, the economic destruction and the pain that this country had to bear. But I don't understand, why you should be held responsible and why further pain should be imposed on you?" he added.

• NEET-JEE aspirants’ safety should not compromised due to the failures of the Govt.
  
  Govt must listen to all stakeholders and arrive at a consensus.#SpeakUpForStudentSafety pic.twitter.com/Y1CwfMhtHf

  — Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) August 28, 2020 " class="align-text-top noRightClick twitterSection" data="

  NEET-JEE aspirants’ safety should not compromised due to the failures of the Govt.
  
  Govt must listen to all stakeholders and arrive at a consensus.#SpeakUpForStudentSafety pic.twitter.com/Y1CwfMhtHf

  — Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) August 28, 2020

  ">

  NEET-JEE aspirants’ safety should not compromised due to the failures of the Govt.
  
  Govt must listen to all stakeholders and arrive at a consensus.#SpeakUpForStudentSafety pic.twitter.com/Y1CwfMhtHf

  — Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) August 28, 2020

"It's important that the government listens to you. Any decision made to conduct these decisions should be made after a conversation and a consensus has been developed," he further added.

Read: Congress protests against JEE-NEET exams

The Congress is holding nationwide demonstrations as well as an online campaign to oppose the JEE-NEET exams amid the COVID-19 outbreak. Congress is demanding postponement of the exams for the safety of students.

Meanwhile, Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra reminded the government in her tweet that at least "some things should be beyond politics."

• @PMOIndia , @DG_NTA , @DrRPNishank , at least some things should be beyond politics. #SpeakUpForStudentSafety

  — Priyanka Gandhi Vadra (@priyankagandhi) August 28, 2020 " class="align-text-top noRightClick twitterSection" data="

  @PMOIndia , @DG_NTA , @DrRPNishank , at least some things should be beyond politics. #SpeakUpForStudentSafety

  — Priyanka Gandhi Vadra (@priyankagandhi) August 28, 2020

  ">

  @PMOIndia , @DG_NTA , @DrRPNishank , at least some things should be beyond politics. #SpeakUpForStudentSafety

  — Priyanka Gandhi Vadra (@priyankagandhi) August 28, 2020

"The government cannot ignore the voices of students appearing for #JEE_NEET exams and those of their concerned parents. They are the future of our country. With the rising scale of the pandemic, is it fair to expose them to infection in this manner? Are they not our children too?" she asked.

Read: Exam delays will affect academic time: Minister

Indian Youth Congress and Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee held a protest on Friday, in which many of their members got detained by Delhi Police. In addition to this, Congress' students wing NSUI is also holding a hunger strike demanding postponement of the exams as the lives of students are at risk.

Congress led-states and other opposition party state government filed a review petition in Supreme Court regarding the matter. However, a similar petition got deferred in the SC, earlier, stating that "Life cannot be stopped.. Are students ready to waste one whole year?"

Read: Congress' Youth wings protest against Centre's decision to conduct JEE, NEET