BJP Leaders, Allies Call for Empathetic Handling of Youth Protests Over Exam Irregularities
Prime Minister Narendra Modi's announcement of fast-track courts to address paper leak cases has been seen as an attempt to directly engage with the grievances of young protesters gathered at Jantar Mantar. However, within the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and its National Democratic Alliance (NDA) partners, there is growing concern that the issue has become a focal point for broader youth discontent.
Murli Manohar Joshi, who served as Human Resource Development Minister in the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government, took to social media platform X on Thursday to urge that student protesters be treated with sensitivity and empathy. He condemned the use of force by law enforcement agencies, calling it 'painful' to see students from across the country assembled for days in New Delhi. 'Their anxieties and concerns regarding the examination system are genuine and must be handled with empathy and a desire to find a lasting solution,' he wrote. Joshi also expressed distress over reports of young women being 'brutally mishandled', warning that such actions could alienate a large segment of the population from the national goal of Viksit Bharat. He emphasized that the situation should not be viewed merely as a law-and-order issue to be resolved through force.
Joshi's sentiments were echoed by other BJP leaders who spoke on condition of anonymity. They indicated that the protests have moved beyond the specific issue of the NEET paper leak, and that the heavy-handed response to protesters marching to Parliament on Monday was reactive and indicated that authorities were unprepared for the turnout. 'From what I have heard at the protest site, the place has become a meeting ground for anyone who has a grievance against the government,' said a BJP Member of Parliament. He acknowledged that while dispersing the protesters is an immediate priority, the BJP must renegotiate its relationship with the younger generation in the long term.
NDA allies also shared concerns over the handling of the situation, particularly the removal of Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi from his protest site outside Prime Minister Modi's residence. Images of the incident were widely circulated in national and international media. 'Unfortunately, things were not handled well at all, but the more worrying thing is that the protests appear to be leaderless as well, now that Sonam Wangchuk has been hospitalised. The moral authority of guiding a protest movement is essential for any resolution,' said a senior NDA MP.
The protests, which began over alleged irregularities in competitive examinations, have drawn students from various states and have been ongoing at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi. The government's offer of fast-track courts is seen as a step towards addressing the immediate concerns, but the broader issues of youth unemployment and educational reforms may require a more comprehensive approach.
