Opposition ruled states should collectively approach Supreme Court for deferring NEET, JEE Main exams: CM Mamata Banerjee

New Delhi: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday (August 26) said that opposition ruled states such as Maharashtra, Punjab, West Bengal, Jharkhand should collectively approach the Supreme Court for deferring NEET, JEE Main exams to be held next month while participating in a discussion through video conferencing with Congress chief Sonia Gandhi and chief ministers of some opposition ruled states.

Banerjee said, "The exams are in September. Why should the lives of students be put at risk? We have written to the PM, but there has been no response. If the Prime Minister does not listen to us, then we all (states) collectively should approach the Supreme Court." 

Talking about pending Goods and Services Tax (GST) dues of West Bengal, she said, "We had to get Rs 4,100 crore in May, June, but we have not received it. So how do we run the government? The pandemic is ongoing, and we are not getting a single paisa... I can tell our state stands to get Rs 53,000 crore from the Centre." 

She said that the state governments have to provide free of cost treatment, medicines, ventilators, ambulances to the people but claimed they were not getting anything from the Centre.

"We are trying our best, but it has become very difficult to pay the salaries to workers. No funds are available, the unorganised sector, MSMEs, farmers are suffering a lot," she said, adding that in India "there is an acute crisis and we cannot speak about it freely, the media also cannot speak." 

Sonia Gandhi raised the issues concerning GST dues of states, the draft Environment Impact Assessment notification and National Education Policy. Banerjee said that apart from the movement of trains being hampered, the COVID-19 pandemic has also had a negative impact on the mental health of the students.

The Congres chief said, "I request the state governments, let us do it together. Let`s go to the Supreme Court and request it to postpone it for the time being (till) the situation is right. We stand by our students, whatever help they require, we are willing to do it." 

In her introductory remarks, Sonia Gandhi said she agreed with Banerjee and Thackeray that all opposition-ruled states should together fight the Centre for their rights, adding "We have to work together and fight together against the Central government." 

Sonia Gandhi convened a virtual meeting of chief ministers of opposition-ruled states to discuss the key issues confronting them. West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee, Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray, Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren and chief ministers of Congress-ruled states Amarinder Singh, Ashok Gehlot, Bhupesh Baghel and V Narayanasamy attended the meeting.

Gandhi termed the draft Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) legislation as "anti-democratic" and alleged that the laws to protect the environment and public health are being weakened by the Modi government.

She said announcements like the National Education Policy should worry the opposition as they are a setback for secular and scientific values and reveal the "insensitivity" of the government.