NEW DELHI: The Congress on Wednesday cited a “sting operation” to allege that students facing financial hardship in Uttar Pradesh’s Prayagraj are being forced to sell their blood to meet the expenses of their education and hostel accommodation.The party said it would never forgive the BJP for this “sin”.Congress’s Uttar Pradesh in-charge Rajendra Pal Gautam said a Hindi daily had conducted a sting operation at the blood bank of the Allahabad Medical Association.“The sting has revealed— the area around the Allahabad Medical Association Blood Bank is a hub of coaching centres. Here, a very large number of students are selling their blood to continue their studies. There can be nothing more shameful than this,” Gautam said at a press conference here along with party colleague Abhay Dubey.Questioning the government’s ability to support students, he asked what purpose a government served if it could not ensure education for children or provide them with hostel accommodation.Citing the sting operation, Gautam alleged that brokers operated at the Allahabad Medical Association blood bank and targeted students in financial distress.“These brokers know which students living in hostels are financially strained and which ones are in need of money. These brokers arrange fake documentation for the students and then their blood is sold. The desperate students do all this just to continue their studies and pay the hostel fees,” he claimed.Gautam further claimed that the sting operation had revealed that some students were selling blood up to four times a month and receiving Rs 4,000-5,000 for one unit.The Congress leader also claimed that 132 students die by suicide in Uttar Pradesh every month, while 14,488 students died by suicide across the country in 2024.He also criticised the government over the rising cost of higher education and alleged cuts to scholarship programmes.Congress leader Dubey also targeted the BJP governments at the Centre and in Uttar Pradesh over the findings of the sting operation.“In Uttar Pradesh, on one hand, students are forced to sell their blood to cover the costs of their education, while on the other, the BJP government is selling off the students’ future by leaking exam papers,” he alleged.(With Agency Inputs)
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