Jharkhand CM dials PM Modi over Kota students' return after Yogi govt's move to send buses

Amid several states following UP government's way to bring back stranded students from Rajasthan's Kota, Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren, on Tuesday has spoken to objections to Prime Minister Narendra Modi about the issue, as per reports. The Chief Minister dialled the PM Modi, and asked, " why one nation, two sets of rules". Soren informed media that Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath's move to send buses has raised similar demands. "We are getting frantic calls from parents, who are asking why we are not making similar arrangements." 

So far, five states  - Madhya Pradesh, West Bengal, Gujarat, Chhattisgarh and Assam, apart from UP have made arrangements to get their children back from Kota, the coaching city in Rajasthan. 

READ | Congress asks why no buses for migrants as 'hashtag trending' Kota students return home

Around 7500 students hailing from Uttar Pradesh are staying in hostels and paying guest accommodations in Kota city, known for its coaching centres especially for engineering and medical aspirants. Since the lockdown was imposed across the country last month to control the spread of COVID-19 infections, the students have been anxious to get back to their homes in different states. A social media campaign called#SendUsBackHome was started on Tuesday by the students stuck amid the pandemic.

READ | Bihar CM Nitish Kumar objects UP govt's decision to send buses to ferry students from Kota

Yogi decides to send buses

The Uttar Pradesh government under Yogi Adityanath on Friday sent 250 buses to Kota in Rajasthan to bring back around 7500 students, stuck in the coaching city amid Coronavirus lockdown. Additionally, the Kota district administration has also arranged nearly 100 buses to be used to send the students from UP in case the number of buses from UP falls short. Adityanath also asked officials to ensure that the students brought back to the state from Rajasthan's Kota are quarantined. 

READ | CM Yogi sends buses to bring back UP students stranded in Rajasthan's Kota amid lockdown

While Bihar has been protesting against sending back students, suggesting that they should stay put wherever they are amid the lockdown, to reduce the risk of spread of the virus, Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot has praised this move and said that other state governments should also ensure that students stranded in the coaching city during the lockdown are able to reach their homes safely. Bihar CM Nitish Kumar has said that sending buses is a violation of the lockdown. 

READ | All students returned from Kota to be placed under home quarantine, says UP government