Children should not be made to perform rituals like ‘guru puja,' says KPCC president
Responding to media queries in Kasaragod on Monday, Mr. Joseph said, 'Teachers should indeed be respected but not in this manner. Children should not be compelled to perform acts like foot worship.' His remarks come amid growing criticism of the incident at Bandudka Saraswathi Vidyalayam and others schools in Kasaragod and Kannur where students were made to perform 'padapuja' of teachers on Vyasa Jayanti last Thursday.
When asked about senior Congress leader P.J. Kurien's statement that the Youth Congress and the Kerala Students' Union (KSU) were not active enough, Mr. Joseph refrained from outright dismissal, saying Mr. Kurien's intention was to 'strengthen the organisation'. He added that both the Youth Congress and the KSU were actively involved in protests, even in the face of police action.
'Even amidst police violence, their protest programmes remain strong. Senior leaders want these youth organisations to become stronger and there is nothing wrong with that,' he said.
Mr. Joseph declined to comment on the alleged discontent within the party over a few statements made by Shashi Tharoor, MP, recently.
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