Mumbai, July 27 — Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) leader Sanjay Raut on Monday reiterated his claim that Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis would soon move to Delhi to take charge as the Union Education Minister, despite the latter firmly rejecting the speculation.

Addressing a press conference, Raut said Prime Minister Narendra Modi should appoint someone outside the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) to overhaul the country's education system. Drawing a parallel with 1991, he noted that then Prime Minister P.V. Narasimha Rao had entrusted the finance portfolio to Dr Manmohan Singh to spearhead economic reforms.

"Someone like Nandan Nilekani should be given the Education Ministry. But if you are already considering Devendra Fadnavis, he is a suitable choice," Raut asserted.

"I say this with confidence, no matter how much he denies it, he will be the next Union Education Minister," the Rajya Sabha MP said.

Dismissing Fadnavis's assertion that he would remain in Maharashtra politics, Raut claimed that the decision was ultimately not in the chief minister's hands.

"He says he will stay in Maharashtra, but where he stays isn't up to him. Accepting the Deputy Chief Minister's post in 2022 wasn't his choice either, was it? When he was demoted, the orders came directly from Modi and Shah (Amit Shah). Where is self-respect or merit in the BJP? If the country’s Education Minister is to be chosen on merit, Devendra Fadnavis is the name currently on PM Modi's mind," he claimed.

Raut launched a sharp attack on the current educational policies, alleging that the RSS-backed system is dragging the nation backward. "Children of the poor are studying under this bogus education system implemented by the RSS, while the children of political leaders and ministers are studying abroad. Make them study here first," he said.

"Over the last ten years, the RSS has ruined the education system. From the era of Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru to Indira Gandhi, Rajiv Gandhi, and Manmohan Singh, our leadership held modern views and valued education. Institutions like the IITs and IIMs were established so that the new generation could embrace modern technology," he noted.

Raut criticised the ruling party for allegedly undermining India's modern educational foundation over the last decade. The Uddhav Sena leader argued that former Prime Ministers -- from Jawaharlal Nehru, Indira Gandhi, and Rajiv Gandhi to Dr Manmohan Singh -- were progressive leaders who built world-class institutions like the IITs and IIMs.

"India’s education system has been modern since Nehru's era. In the last ten years, the BJP destroyed this modern approach and pushed the nation back to ancient times," Raut alleged.

"While politicians send their own children abroad for studies, poor students are left with a flawed system. What can a task force under Nilekani achieve in such an environment?" he asked.

Raut alleged that the current administration has replaced modern education with ancient concepts, adding, "The BJP has reduced the focus to cattle sheds, selling tea, and frying pakodas. What can someone like Nilekani even do in such an environment? The BJP must apologise for destroying the country's modern educational foundation," he said.

Responding to Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde's recent "Begani Shaadi Mein Abdullah Deewana" remark on the Opposition's participation in the protests, Raut launched a sharp counterattack.

"The youth at Jantar Mantar have ignited a spark, and DCM Shinde should remain quiet instead of making light of the situation," he said.

Raut also announced that the Opposition's next protest, following the gathering at Shivaji Park in Mumbai, would be held in Shinde's political stronghold of Thane.

Questioning the credentials of the incoming education leadership and the effectiveness of the proposed anti-paper leak legislation, Raut noted that merely increasing prison sentences from one year to ten years does not address the core issue of enforcement.

He stated that the Opposition intends to grill the government in Parliament over the violent police crackdown on protesting students, demanding accountability for who authorized the use of force and the alleged mistreatment of female protesters.

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