Arshad’s school audit plan faces flak

Bengaluru: Karnataka Youth Congress Committee president, Rizwan Arshad's ambitious plan to audit schools across the state in the wake of a rise in sexual harassment cases, has met with stiff resistance from none other than his own party ministers, as they view it as an infringement of their rights.

Apart from this, when Mr Arshad himself led a group of Youth Congress functionaries to a private school in R. T. Nagar, he was asked not to enter the premises as the school was private property.

However, when the group led by Mr Arshad tried to create a ruckus, the management called one of the influential ministers in Chief Minister, Siddaramaiah's cabinet to ‘deal’ with Mr Arashd and his group. Once the  ‘influential minister’ took Mr Arshad to task, he and his group left the premises ‘quietly’.

Speaking to Deccan Chronicle, a senior bureaucrat in the Primary and Secondary education department disclosed what happened on Wednesday. "If his plans are not thwarted at this stage, it will become a huge money fleecing racket once it gets into the ‘wrong hands’, therefore, even bureaucrats lobbied with a section of ministers to stop Mr Arshad from doing it," the bureaucrat explained.

Sources explained that Home minister, K. J. George and Primary and secondary education minister, Kimmane Ratnakar both  took Mr Arshad to task while even Chief Minister, Siddarmaiah called Mr Arshad over phone from Mysore and took him to task for announcing this programme without consulting  party senior leaders.

"With these ministers coming under the scanner particularly after opposition party launched widespread protests against their ‘incompetence’ in tackling sexual assault cases, Mr Arshad's letter which went viral on WhatsApp, further complicated matters.

As a result of this, Mr Arshad went on a visiting spree to each and every leader’s house putting forward his side of the story, however,  none were willing to buy his version," a party senior leader claimed.