Even as the pictures of kins of examinees climbing up the walls to help their wards cheat in exams remain fresh in people’s minds, showing the state of Bihar in a bad light, Rashtriya Janata Dal chief and former CM Lalu Prasad Yada on Monday blurted out another controversial remark.
In a comment that apparently sounded half-funny half bizarre, the former chief minister said that had his party (the RJD) been in power, he would have allowed the examinees to carry books to the exam halls and spared them the trouble of climbing up the walls “like a lizard”.
“Itni badi building mein chipkali ki tarah chadh kar cheating karat hain. Humare raaj mein hoga? Hum toh khud hi kitaab lakar de, likho sab kitab se dekh kar likho” (They were cheating by cimbing up a wall like a lizard…in such a tall building. In my rule, I would bring them th books and tell them to copy and write),” he was quoted as saying.
Meanwhile, Lalu’s remark has become quite popular on social media with many taking to Twitter to post their reactions.
“What’s surprising in this? many use to elect Lalu and Mulayam in Bihar and UP precisely for this,”read one of the tweets.
Lalu’s controversial remarks come just a couple of days after over 900 people including students and their parents were apprehended from different exam centres in the state for cheating in the ongoing matriculation examination held by the Bihar School Examination Board (BSEB).
Adding to the shame was an off-hand remark by the state’s Education Minister PK Shahi, who said that it was impossible on the government’s part to conduct a 100% cheating-free examination.
He said that the government alone cannot ensure 100 per cent cheating-free examinations and that the parents must share the onus as well.
“Over 14 lakh examinees are appearing in the examination and with each of them, 4-5 persons including parents are going. Is it possible to keep an eye on over 60 to 70 lakh people?” Shahi had asked.
“Should we shoot them?” he had asked.
Meanwhile, the Union HRD ministry has sought a report from the state on the subject.
