Ram Bilas Sharma blames Congress for 'unclean occupation' remark

Manohar Lal Khattar

Haryana state's education minister Ram Bilas Sharma said that the Congress was to be blamed for school admission forms having a section asking if the student's parents were engaged in 'unclean occupation' -- something that set off nation-wide uproar. Across schools in Haryana, a question in the SC/ST section of the admission form in particular raised eyebrows as it sought to know whether the applicant's parents were engaged in an "unclean occupation".

"The school admission form which is being discussed by the opposition was published during Congress regime. I will meet senior officials to discuss this matter," said Sharma yesterday. Senior Congress leader R.S. Surjewala yesterday slammed the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led state government after schools had recently released the controversial admission forms.

Surjewala also called on Haryana Chief Minister M.L. Khattar to clarify the meaning of unclean profession and also termed the 100-question form as another attempt by the BJP government to breach privacy. The form was introduced on April 7, 2011.

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(Edited by mid-day online desk, with inputs from ANI)

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