Jharkhand Congress leader Kumar Raja on Saturday defended the decision to stop student leader Devendra Nath Mahto from leaving Sadar Hospital in Ranchi to participate in a Tiranga Yatra, saying his health should take ‘priority over political point-scoring’.
The government is sensitive to the situation; officials are visiting him regularly. “Consider this individual: he has been on a hunger strike for 11-12 days, and talks with the government are ongoing. Because we are concerned about Devendra’s health,” he told ANI, we, too, are meeting him.
Raja accused the BJP of trying to politicise the issue and said the party was “playing politics over dead bodies”, news agency PTI reported. “BJP is a party that plays politics over dead bodies; they are uneducated and boorish,” Raja said, reacting to the controversy over Mahto being stopped at the hospital. Raja said talks between the government and the protesting students were underway and that officials were regularly monitoring Mahto’s health. Meanwhile, Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren said the state government was committed to ensuring transparency in examinations. Soren also said the government had launched “Chhatron Ki Baat – Chhatron Ke Sath” to seek students’ suggestions on improving the education system. Student leader Ravinder Paswan said protesters would focus on celebrating Independence Day and would refrain from raising their demands with the government on the occasion.
