Patna:
Activists of the All India Students’ Association (AISA) today held a protest as BJP President JP Nadda came to Patna College, where he once studied. They demanded rollback of the National Education Policy of 2020, and grant of central status to Patna University.
“JP Nadda, wapas jao (go back)” was the main slogan of the protesters who surrounded Mr Nadda. Security personnel pushed through the crowd for him to move out. Mr Nadda, who graduated in political science from here and whose father worked at Patna University, was part of a programme at the college seminar hall.
The gherao is significant also because the BJP is a partner in the Bihar government led by JDU’s Nitish Kumar. Mr Nadda arrived in the state capital today mainly for a two-day convention of the BJP’s seven frontal organisations.
A press release by AISA mentioned that Kumar Divyam, its state unit joint secretary, led the protest along with Neeraj Yadav, Aditya Ranjan and others. The Leftist organisation has held that the NEP 2020 is “nothing but a promotion of graded inequality”. In statements on the policy as shared on its websitethe AISA has stressed that increase in the number of private institutions will hurt the idea of social justice as implemented via reservation and other policies.
AISA is not alone in seeking central status for Patna University. The demand has been raised by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar in the past.