Bhubaneswar: A number of Odia students studying in Rajasthan’s Kota town have appealed Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik seeking their safe return back to the state amid the countrywide lockdown.
According to one of the students, there is a large community of Odia students in Kota who are studying there to crack competitive exams including IIT-JEE and medical entrances.
They are now requesting Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik to rescue them from the place and are tweeting to CMO and PMO in Twitter with hashtags #helpkotastudents and #sendusback.
https://mobile.twitter.com/Gayatri82910009/status/1251138824782008321
Gayatri Sahu, one of the students tweeted, “@CMO_Odisha Honorable Chief Minister, We’re students from Odisha stuck in Kota due to COVID-19. Kota becomes Rajasthan’s next hotspot. UP govt has arranged buses for their students. We request you to plz make arrangements to #SendUsBackHome”.”
“At least 2500 Odia students are stuck in Kota and need help. UP and other governments are already in action. Kindly help students from Odisha,” tweeted another student.
https://mobile.twitter.com/digpatra/status/1251087731729498112f
Kota has emerged as yet another hotspot in Rajasthan with the number of cases rising manifolds in the last few days. The increasing numbers of coronavirus patients (83) are yet another worry for the students as well as their parents.
Meanwhile, the students have started a Twitter campaign – #helpkotastudents and #sendusbackhome where they have been tagging Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Ministers of different states.
The UP government had recently sent 300 buses to bring back students. Chief Minister of Rajasthan Ashok Gehlot has said that other states could also make arrangements to take back their students.
As the UP govt called back students of UP living in #Kota #Rajasthan, it can also be done for students from other states. Students in Kota can be sent to their home states on the consent of the concerned state govt so that these young boys & girls do not panic or feel depressed.
— Ashok Gehlot (@ashokgehlot51) April 17, 2020
Earlier, the state government of Rajasthan refused to let these students leave for the native places, leaving thousands of them stranded.