Bhubaneswar

The CJP on Monday extended its support to the ongoing 'satyagraha' by the Navnirman Yuva Chhatra Sangathan (NYCS), which is demanding the resignation of Odisha School and Mass Education Minister Nityananda Gond over alleged errors in school textbooks.

Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) co-convenor Sourav Das, who was in the city as part of the party’s 'School Thik Karo' campaign, said it supported the activists’ demand for reforms in school education and accountability over the errors in textbooks.

"The CJP extends its support to the activists of NYCS who have been demanding reforms in school education and resignation of Gond over the errors in the textbooks," Das said.

"The government has spent Rs 380 crore for printing textbooks for schoolchildren, but they were found to have multiple mistakes and children are provided with such study materials. We feel that accountability should be fixed for the massive errors in the textbooks and the minister should resign," he told reporters.

Das said he had come to the state at the invitation of Navnirman Krushak Sangathan (NKS) convenor Akshaya Kumar and NYCS leader Manwar Ali, who have been on hunger strike for over a fortnight over the textbook issue.

"Together, we will prepare a blueprint on education reforms and the issue relating to textbook errors," he said.

Das also referred to former Union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation following the NEET-UG question paper leak controversy and said Gond should similarly take accountability for the textbook errors.

The Navnirman Yuva Chhatra Sangathan has meanwhile announced plans to gherao the Odisha Assembly on September 22, demanding reforms and greater transparency and accountability in the state’s education sector.

Kumar said they had adopted Mahatma Gandhi’s non-violent satyagraha for reforms in the education sector.

They alleged that the state’s education system had become dysfunctional and that the government was not concerned about improving it.

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Meanwhile, the Opposition BJD’s youth and students wing has also announced to gherao the Assembly on Tuesday demanding Gond's resignation.