Angry Protests Outside Telangana CM's House Over Results 'Goof-up' As Students Suicides Toll Climbs To 23

 Raising angry slogans against the Telangana government and demanding sacking of the state Education Minister over the "goof up" in the Intermediate examination results,  student organisations and political parties on Monday held protests outside the office of CM K Chandrasekhara Rao even as a BJP leader began an indefinite fast.

The alleged massive bungling in the results saw over 3 lakh failing to secure pass marks, and led to the alleged suicides of 23 students so far, since declaration of results on April 18

Hitting out at the TRS government, the BJP state chief K Laxman began an indefinite fast seeking justice for the students.

The demands of the BJP include sacking of Education Minister G Jagadeesh Reddy, suspension of secretary of Board of Intermediate Education, judicial inquiry into the entire episode and compensation to families of students who allegedly committed suicide.

The exams were conducted during February and March this year and the results were declared on April 18. 

Many students and parents have been protesting against the Telangana State Board of Intermediate Education (TSBIE) over the alleged goof-up in the paper valuation.

The protesters demanded the resignation of the Education Minister and that he should take moral responsibility over the "fiasco". The protesters also made a vain bid to lay siege to the TSBIE office in Hyderabad and to Pragathi Bhavan, official residence complex-cum-camp office of Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao.

Scores of protesters were taken into preventive custody by the police.

In the wake of "Chalo TSBIE" protest call given by Opposition parties, several leaders of the Congress, Telangana TDP, TJS were put under "house arrest" in different parts of the city and across the state, leaders of those parties said.

 Police, who had stepped up security near the TSBIE office, foiled attempts by activists of Students' Federation of India, Progressive Democratic Students Union, Democratic Youth Federation of India, All India Democratic Students' Organisation and other student organisations to barge into the TSBIE office, and whisked away the protesters in police vehicles.

Similarly, scores of members of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishat and CPI were taken into preventive custody when they tried to hold demonstrations near Pragathi Bhavan.

The protesters also demanded suspension of officials of TSBIE including its secretary Ashok over the irregularities in the declaration of the results and demanded that Globarena Technologies, which was given the contract for data collection and processing of the results, be blacklisted.

Some students claimed they had either been failed or got poor marks though they had done well in exams.

Following allegations of bungling in the announcement of results, students, parents, students' organisations and political parties have been staging protests across the state over the past one week.

A three-member committee of technical experts, appointed by the Telangana government to go into the results "goof up", has pointed out certain lapses and suggested various measures for improvement, officials said Saturday.

Chief Minister Rao has ordered free revaluation for the 3.28 lakh Intermediate students who had failed the exam.

(With PTI inputs)