Amid massive anger over paper leak and student protests, which led to the resignation of former Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray on Sunday in an interview with his party’s spokesman Samana described people as “avatars of Vishnu”. He said that with the protest at Jantar Mantar, people across the country have now overcome the fear of Modi Shah’s terrorist regime and are now coming out on the roads against the central government despite the threat to their lives.
Thackeray compared people’s protest to the “avatar of Lord Vishnu” (who according to Hindu mythology was born to destroy Satan), saying that when citizens unite against injustice, even the most powerful governments cannot confront it.
“Now, perhaps it will be Modi and Shah who will feel fear. People are the true avatar of Lord Vishnu. One thing caught my attention from Mumbai to Delhi. People have now transcended fear. Till now, the government kept the gun of fear trained on the people. But now that fear is gone. Despite the threat to their lives, people are coming out on the streets,” Thackeray said.
“The government should take into account what is happening around. Ask Sheikh Hasina, who gave them shelter, and the Prime Minister of Nepal, who had to flee… Why can’t they suppress the Generation 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 not only know how to cast their votes, they also know how to express their opinions,” he added.
“The government should keep its ears to the ground. Instead of ignoring people, the government should think why are they angry?” He said.
He also warned that the country does not belong to fools but to its people. Alleging that students have lost confidence in the current examination system, Thackeray said paper leakage and irregularities have repeatedly damaged the credibility of competitive examinations.
“The youth have shown courage. They are not asking for favors; they are demanding justice. (HRD Minister Pradhan’s) resignation is not enough. The education system must be rebuilt so that students regain confidence in examinations and employment,” Thackeray said.
