Mysuru: Students of various colleges, under the aegis of Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), staged a protest in front of the Deputy Commissioner’s (DC) office here on Tuesday, condemning the Government’s decision to introduce caste factor in the distribution of bus passes for poor students.

Speaking to the press, ABVP Convenor Rakesh opined that education sector should be free of casteism. He questioned the rationale behind the Government’s decision on providing free bus passes only to one particular community students which would terribly upset other poor students.

He recalled that during presentation of 2018-19 State Budget, it was announced that free bus passes would be given to all poor students and demanded the Coalition Government to implement that policy.

He contended that the dual policy of the Government in educational sector will hurt the minds of poor merit students and could even jeopardise their career beyond imagination. He observed that many poor students were children of farmers who are already hit by drought.

ABVP District Convenor Sriram and City Secretary Goutham led the protest.