TDP MP Chintakayala Vijay accused the YSRCP of harassing an ex-serviceman appointed as a teacher in Kuppam and defended the transparency of the Mega DSC recruitment.
Mangalagiri: TDP MP Chintakayala Vijay on Monday accused the YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) of attempting to discredit the State government's Mega District Selection Committee (DSC) recruitment and alleged that an ex-serviceman appointed as a teacher was harassed at a government school in Kuppam.
Addressing a press conference at the TDP Central Office in NTR Bhavan, the MP alleged that a reporter associated with Sakshi media, identified as Ganesh, had allegedly manhandled the newly appointed teacher, who is a former Army serviceman, during a Teachers' Day event.
Mr. Vijay alleged that the reporter grabbed the teacher by the collar, demanded to see his certificates and accused him of having obtained the sports quota appointment through bribery. He termed the alleged incident an insult to the armed forces and said any doubts regarding certificates should be addressed through the appropriate authorities rather than through confrontation at a school.
Mr. Vijay attributed the alleged harassment to opposition to the Mega DSC recruitment process, under which more than 16,000 teacher posts were filled by the State government.
He said Education Minister Nara Lokesh had fulfilled a commitment made during his Yuva Galam padayatra by overseeing the recruitment process. The MP alleged that former Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy had failed to issue a DSC notification during his five-year tenure.
Mr. Vijay accused the YSRCP of trying to create doubts over the recruitment process after the government filled the posts. He said the recruitment had provided an opportunity to several candidates from backward classes, Scheduled Castes and minority communities who had been working in private schools for relatively low salaries.
The MP also criticised the circulation of alleged audio recordings questioning the appointment of teachers who had previously worked in private schools.
He said there was nothing unusual about candidates from private schools qualifying for government employment and questioned the basis for raising doubts over two members of the same family securing jobs through a recruitment process.
Mr. Vijay maintained that the Mega DSC recruitment had been conducted under the supervision of senior women IAS and IFS officers. He also claimed that several petitions filed against the recruitment process had been dismissed by the courts.
Mr. Vijay said the alleged incident involving the former serviceman should not be viewed merely as a political dispute, arguing that members of the armed forces deserved respect for their service.
Referring to the difficult conditions in which Indian soldiers serve, including high-altitude areas such as Siachen, he criticised what he described as a lack of sensitivity towards ex-servicemen.
He also drew a parallel with the case of Dr. Sudhakar, a medical worker who was allegedly subjected to harassment during the previous administration, and accused the YSRCP of now targeting teachers and government employees.
Responding to demands from Mr. Jagan Mohan Reddy for a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) inquiry into the DSC recruitment, Mr. Vijay questioned the basis for such a demand and referred to the YSRCP's past confrontations with CBI officials.
He reiterated that the NDA coalition government would not tolerate what he described as attempts to intimidate teachers, ex-servicemen, BCs and minority employees.
The MP said the government would continue to defend the integrity of the recruitment process and warned political groups against entering government schools to confront or intimidate teachers and employees.
