Amid the massive outrage over paper leak and student protests, which led to the resignation of former Union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan, Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray on Sunday in an interview to his party mouthpiece Saamana called people the “Avatar of Vishnu”. He said that with the protest at Jantar Mantar, people across the country have now “overcome fear of the Modi-Shah regime of terror and are now coming on the roads against the central government despite life threat”.
Event Context
“The government should take note of what is happening around it. Ask Sheikh Hasina, whom they gave shelter and Nepal’s Prime Minister, who had to flee…why can’t they crackdown the Gen-Z protests in Bangladesh and Nepal? A nation is not just its land, mountains and rocks. A nation means its people. In a democracy, people know not only how to cast their votes, but also how to express their opinions,” he added.
“The government should keep its ears to the ground. Instead of ignoring people, the government should think about why they are angry?” he said.
He also warned that the country does not belong to goons but to its people. Thackeray alleged that students have lost faith in the existing examination system and said that paper leaks and irregularities have repeatedly damaged the credibility of competitive examinations.
“The youth have shown courage. They are not asking for favours; they are demanding justice. A resignation (of HRD minister Pradhan) is not enough. The education system must be rebuilt so that students regain confidence in examinations and recruitment,” Thackeray said.
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Thackeray compared the people’s protest with the “Avatar of Lord Vishnu” (who according to Hindu mythology takes birth to end the devil) saying that when citizens unite against injustice, even the most powerful governments can’t face it.
“Now, perhaps it is Modi and Shah who will feel fear. The people are the true avatar of Lord Vishnu. One thing has caught my attention from Mumbai to Delhi. The people have now moved beyond fear. Until now, the government had kept a gun of fear pointed at the people’s. But now that fear has gone. Despite life threat people come out on the streets,” Thackeray said.
