The stir by opposition parties and students outfits in Telangana over 'goof up' in Intermediate exam results intensified Tuesday with Congress saying it will continue its fight and BJP's youth wing members taken into preventive custody for trying to march to the CM's office.
The Congress Tuesday reiterated it would keep up its fight till "justice is done to the students."
AICC in-charge of Congress affairs in Telangana R C Khuntia in a statement alleged that the government had not responded to the protests and only tried to put them down.
On Tuesday, some members of Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM) were taken into preventive custody by police, when they tried to march towards the official residence complex-cum-camp office of Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao.
Besides the Congress, TDP, BJP and student outfits have accused the government of not acting against those responsible for 'faulty' conduct of the exams and also against the Telangana State Board of Intermediate Education over 'errors' and have demanded the removal of the State Education Minister.
They have also been making vain attempts to hold demonstrations at the TSBIE office here over the alleged mismanagement by the Board and to express solidarity with students and parents.
The protestors are also demanding compensation for family members of the students who have committed suicide.
The exams were held February and March this year and the results were declared on April 18.
Ever since the results were announced, many students and parents have been approaching the TSBIE office, alleging goof-up in the paper valuation.
While some students claimed they had either failed or got poor marks though they had performed well, other parents said their wards are meritorious and expressed shock that they were failed in the exams or had scored very less marks.
A Congress-led opposition delegation had met the Governor E S L Narasimhan and sought a judicial probe into the alleged goof-up.
They had claimed that over 20 students committed suicide after the announcement of the results.
Student outfits have been demanding the resignation of Education Minister G Jagadeeshwar Reddy, asking him to take moral responsibility for the "fiasco", while the Opposition parties have also demanded that he resign and charged the Minister with being responsible for the students' deaths.
Blaming the chief minister and TRS working president K T Rama Rao for the goof-up in the results, Congress, TDP, CPI and Telangana Jana Samiti jointly called for a 'Maha Dharna' and attempted to hold a demonstration in front of the TSBIE office Monday, but police foiled their attempts and had taken several of them into preventive custody.
However, Congress leaders claimed that the dharna call given by the party was successful.
Telangana BJP president K Laxman, who launched an indefinite fast outside his party office here Monday, was shifted to a state-run hospital by police "in view of his health", though he continued the fast.
The BJP has given a call for a statewide bandh on May 2 over the issue.
Former Union Minister and senior BJP leader Bandaru Dattatreya was arrested on Tuesday, for holding dharna in front of Dr BR Ambedkar Statue at Tank Bund, protesting against the arrest of Telangana BJP unit president K Laxman.
Dr Laxman was arrested on Monday and shifted to NIMS Hospital, while he was holding an indefinite hunger strike at the state BJP headquarters here, protesting against the intermediate exam results goof-up.
Police arrested Dattatreya and other party activists when they were holding dharna with out taking permission from the police. Speaking on the occasion, Mr Dattatreya said that BJP will continue its struggle, until justice is done to the intermediate students.
Amid the protests, the Telangana High Court Monday directed the state government and TSBIE to re-tally by May 8 marks of 3 lakh students, who were declared failed and submit a report before it in this regard The student bodies and political parties have also been demanding suspension of officials of TSBIE including its secretary A Ashok holding them responsible over "irregularities" in the declaration of the results.
They have also demanded the blacklisting of the private IT firm Globarena Technologies, which handled the Inter results.
The state government has already constituted a three-member committee of technical experts to look into the charges of discrepancies in the declaration of the results.
The committee in its report had pointed out certain lapses and suggested various measures for improvement.
The Chief Minister has already directed the officials not to charge any fee for re-verification and re-counting from failed students.
The government has also announced that failed students need not apply for re-counting and re-verification.
Thousands of students, who passed the exams, have also applied for re-verification.
