The issue of two candidates from the Brahmin community being only allowed to enter a Rajasthan Eligibility Examination for Teachers (REET) centre after removing their sacred thread has led to heated comments in the state Assembly and drawn sharp reactions from community organisations. A video of the incident from the exam centre in Dungarpur district recently went viral on social media. The REET exam was held on February 27 and 28. After the video went viral, two officials faced action. Dungarpur Collector Ankit Kumar said that based on media reports and the administration’s investigation, a teacher who was the exam supervisor present at the centre was suspended and a police constable was asked to report to headquarters. Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma’s government has come under criticism over the incident. In the state Assembly, Congress MLA Harimohan Sharma said it showed the failure of the government to protect the interests of Brahmins. “The Chief Minister is a janeu (sacred thread)-wearing Pandit. Yet, Brahmin candidates were forced to remove their sacred thread during the examination under his rule. If a Brahmin is not respected during the tenure of a Brahmin Chief Minister, what can be worse than this?” the Congress leader asked. Various Brahmin organisations have also came out against the incident. The Vipra Foundation wrote letters to the district administration about the matter. Its member Narayan Paliwal said such actions would not be tolerated under any circumstances. “The janeu is a sacred thread for Brahmins and it is not made of any metal. Why is the government against wearing the thread at exam centres? It is an attempt to break the unity of Sanatan Dharm. This kind of act should not be promoted in the state and we have given a memorandum to the collector and CM Bhajan Lal Sharma to prevent such an act in the future,” he said. On the other hand, Bharatiya Adivasi Party MP Rajkumar Roat has termed the action against the officials at the exam centre “completely wrong” and demanded that they be reinstated. Roat said, “Following the orders of the BJP government led by Bhajan Lal Sharma in Rajasthan has become a crime for employees. Where is the justice in suspending two employees who followed the government rules during the REET exam in Dungarpur? Is it Amrit Kaal to do justice by looking at caste and religion?”
