NEW DELHI: Lok Sabha proceedings were on Monday adjourned for about 30 minutes after DMK members protested over Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan’s remarks that the Tamil Nadu government was “dishonest” on the issue of implementing the PM Schools for Rising India (PM SHRI) scheme.
Replying to a question on the PM SHRI scheme, Pradhan said the DMK-led Tamil Nadu government has changed its stand on implementing the centrally sponsored scheme, which envisaged strengthening the schools managed by central, state, or local bodies.
The state concerned has to sign an MoU with the central government that it would implement the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, and in return, the central government provides the fund.
“The Tamil Nadu government had initially agreed to sign the MoU. But now they have changed the stand. Many non-BJP-ruled states, including Karnataka and Himachal Pradesh, have signed the agreement,” he said.
Pradhan said, “They are dishonest, and they are ruining the future of the students of Tamil Nadu. They are doing politics”.
The minister said at one point in time, the government of Tamil Nadu had agreed to the PM SHRI scheme, and several (DMK) MPs, who came to see him, conveyed this to him.
“But when they went back, they made a U-turn. They are doing mischief with the lives of the students. They are misleading the people and doing injustice to students of Tamil Nadu. They are undemocratic…,” he alleged.
Pradhan said Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin had also agreed initially “but suddenly some super CM appeared and they took a U-turn. They just want to do politics”.
“Today is March 10. We still have 20 days left in the month of March,” he said, indicating the time left for the Tamil Nadu government to sign the MoU on PM SHRI.
Taking strong exception to the minister’s remarks, the DMK members registered strong protests by raising slogans against the central government.
Speaker Om Birla asked the agitating members to return to their seats and allow the House to function normally.
Birla said he has given the opposition members the opportunity to pose questions, and subsequently the minister has replied. “But now you are doing this (protests). This is not good. You are setting a wrong precedent. Don’t violate the parliamentary procedures,” he said.
However, the DMK members ignored his pleas and continued their protests.
After some time, Birla adjourned the House till 12 noon.
When the House reassembled at 12 noon, DMK member Kanimozhi told the House that she was “very pained and hurt” by a particular word used by the minister.
She also said that she and other DMK MPs, along with the Tamil Nadu Education Minister, had met Pradhan to request him to release funds to the state under education schemes.
“We have clearly said that we have issues with the NEP, and we cannot accept it in full. We said that the three-language formula is not acceptable to Tamil Nadu.
“The truth is that the chief minister of Tamil Nadu had written to the minister as well as the prime minister saying that we have issues with NEP and cannot accept it in total. He had also requested to release the funds,” she said, adding, “The MPs of Tamil Nadu have never accepted the NEP.”.
Responding to Kanimozhi, Pradhan said, “My esteemed colleague, one of my dearest sisters and senior member honourable Kanimozhi, has raised two points. At one point, she has said that I have used a word that I should not have used for the members from Tamil Nadu, the Tamil Nadu government, and the people of Tamil Nadu”.
“Let’s not mix it. Let me withdraw it. I withdraw my word if it has hurt anyone. I have no issues with that,” he said.
Pradhan said the MPs have met him on several occasions, and the education minister of Tamil Nadu was also part of the delegation, which was in a good spirit that something (solution) should come up.
“I was also open. We have agreed on certain things. They went back and mentioned this to the chief minister, who has also given his consent to go ahead. Later, they told me informally that certain issues have come up. This is unfortunate,” he said.
The minister said since today is March 10, there is time, and the Tamil Nadu government can come back on what issues they have agreed to, and the central government would respond to that.
“We have no issues with the non-BJP-ruled states—Karnataka, Himachal Pradesh, and Punjab,” he said.
After Pradhan’s comments, the Speaker said since the minister withdrew the word that he had used, he (Birla) too has directed to expunge the word from the records.
Last month, Stalin had said he was firm on his stance of not implementing the NEP in Tamil Nadu even if the Centre offered to provide Rs 10,000 crore to the state.
The chief minister said the opposition to the NEP is not merely over the “imposition of Hindi,” but there are several other factors that would have serious consequences on the future of students and the social justice system.
The total cost of the PM SHRI scheme will be Rs 27,360 crore spread over a period of five years, which includes a central share of Rs 18,128 crore.
A total of 12,079 schools have been selected from 32 states and UTs, of which 1,329 schools are primary, 3,340 schools are elementary, 2,921 schools are secondary, and 4,489 schools are senior secondary.
