Bengaluru: One more student on Sunday revealed he was forced to remove his sacred thread before being allowed to appear for the common entrance test (CET), as Brahmin students started sharing their experience.
The government held CET, last week, for admissions to professional courses. The cases that have been reported over the last two days have snowballed into a controversy as the Brahmin Associations and the Opposition BJP have accused the government of targeting Brahmin students.
Forest Minister Eshwar Khandre, however, attempted to douse the fire by visiting Suchivrath Kulkarni’s home in Bidar and assuring him of all support including a free engineering seat. Kulkarni had returned home without taking the test after he refused to comply with demands for removal his sacred thread.
So far, Shivamogga, Dharwad and Bidar districts have reported these cases, and the stray incidents assumed the crisis proportions only after Kulkarni’s incident went viral. Student either removed their thread or snapped it before entering the exam hall. One of them displayed his snapped thread to the media in Dharwad on Sunday.
The government has denied issuing any guideline requiring students to enter the exam hall without the sacred thread. Health Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao, a Brahmin himself, has condemned the incidents. The Akhila Karnataka Brahmana Mahasabha has hailed minister Khandre’s offer of a free seat to the victim.
Venture capitalist Mohandas Pai urged minister Rao to arrange a re-exam for the Bidar student while seeking stern action against those responsible. Addressing chief minister Siddaramaiah in a post on X, Pai said this was “a real test of what you say you stand for a secular state,” while urging him to act. “Caste discrimination on any grounds is unacceptable in any civilized society. It is the caste hatred being created by some that causes this.”
The anguish from the Brahmin community follows the placing of the caste census report by the Siddaramaiah regime recently. Brahmins are among the communities the report has left displeased.
The government held CET, last week, for admissions to professional courses. The cases that have been reported over the last two days have snowballed into a controversy as the Brahmin Associations and the Opposition BJP have accused the government of targeting Brahmin students.
Forest Minister Eshwar Khandre, however, attempted to douse the fire by visiting Suchivrath Kulkarni’s home in Bidar and assuring him of all support including a free engineering seat. Kulkarni had returned home without taking the test after he refused to comply with demands for removal his sacred thread.
So far, Shivamogga, Dharwad and Bidar districts have reported these cases, and the stray incidents assumed the crisis proportions only after Kulkarni’s incident went viral. Student either removed their thread or snapped it before entering the exam hall. One of them displayed his snapped thread to the media in Dharwad on Sunday.
The government has denied issuing any guideline requiring students to enter the exam hall without the sacred thread. Health Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao, a Brahmin himself, has condemned the incidents. The Akhila Karnataka Brahmana Mahasabha has hailed minister Khandre’s offer of a free seat to the victim.
Venture capitalist Mohandas Pai urged minister Rao to arrange a re-exam for the Bidar student while seeking stern action against those responsible. Addressing chief minister Siddaramaiah in a post on X, Pai said this was “a real test of what you say you stand for a secular state,” while urging him to act. “Caste discrimination on any grounds is unacceptable in any civilized society. It is the caste hatred being created by some that causes this.”
The anguish from the Brahmin community follows the placing of the caste census report by the Siddaramaiah regime recently. Brahmins are among the communities the report has left displeased.
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