'We are just implementing the NEP, which was drafted by the Manmohan Singh government,' says Karnataka's Primary Education Minister

Primary Education Minister BC Nagesh has lashed out at the leader of the Opposition Siddaramaiah for mocking the proposed New Education Policy. Speaking to reporters at Bangaramakki village near Gerusoppa in Honnavar taluk in Uttara Kannada district on Saturday evening, he lashed out at Siddaramaiah for the New Education Policy saying that the draft was prepared by the Manmohan Singh government.

"We have just decided to implement. As long as Manmohan Singh was in power, it was all fine with the Congress. Now when the Congress is not in power, the policy has become an RSS agenda. Who advised Singh for 10 years when he was Prime Minister?" he said.

Stating that any education policy should be revised as per the requirement of the circumstances, he pointed out that even the Congress has done the same thing. "Now what is their complaint? The Congress is behaving as if it is still in power. It needs to understand that it is now in the opposition," he said.

On the re-opening of the schools for Classes I to V, he said it will be re-opened based on expert advice. "We have already begun schools for high school and for Classes VI to VIII. For students from Classes I to V, we are prepared to re-open the schools, but the technical advisory committee should suggest to us how and when," he said. The Minister had come to Uttara Kannada district on a visit to a private institute.