Former Union Minister and BJP veteran Murli Manohar Joshi on Thursday expressed concern over the treatment of protesting students in New Delhi, saying their grievances over the examination system are “genuine” and should not be reduced to a “law and order issue”.
In a post on website
“It is painful to see young students from across the country gathering for days on the streets of New Delhi. Their concerns and concerns about the examination system are real and must be addressed with compassion and a desire to find a lasting solution,” he wrote.
Follow live updates of CJP protest here.
The senior BJP leader also warned against the use of force to disperse the protesters, saying he hoped the situation would not be treated as merely a law and order issue.
“I very much hope that this case will not be treated as just a law and order issue that has to be addressed through the use of force. It is very painful to see that even young girls are being brutally abused,” Joshi said.
“Such a use of force would alienate large sections of Indian society from the national goal of Vixit Bharat,” he added, warning that such action could have wider consequences.
Student protests continue in Delhi
Joshi’s comments come amid ongoing student protests in New Delhi over alleged leaks of NEET papers and police action against protesters.
Union Minister Jitendra Singh said on Thursday that the central government had affirmed its commitment to dialogue, noting that it had extended several formal invitations to student representatives for discussions.
Speaking to ANI about the updated proposal for talks with the youth-led movement, Union Minister Jitendra Singh asserted that the government is not letting “prestige” get in the way towards a solution.
“The government has sent formal proposals for discussions with its representatives four times since yesterday afternoon. This is a standing call to all our young friends that the government is ready to hold discussions on all issues at your convenience,” Singh said.
Emphasizing the government’s flexible approach, Singh, who is also Minister of State in the Prime Minister’s Office, said, “We are not standing on prestige. Union Health Minister JP Nadda and I will be present for the discussions. Slowly, through discussion, we will move towards the solution.”
The Union Minister also offered the protesters a choice of the proposed meeting place to ensure a comfortable environment for dialogue.
What happened on July 20?
On July 20, thousands of students and supporters of the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) gathered at Jantar Mantar to participate in a planned ‘Chalo Sansad’ march to Parliament, demanding accountability over the alleged leak of NEET papers, examination system reforms and the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.
The demonstrators maintained that the march was peaceful and accused the Delhi Police of using excessive force, allegedly charging lathi, manhandling the protesters and detaining several participants as they tried to breach the barricades.
However, the Delhi Police defended its actions, saying the march was not permitted, prohibitory orders under Section 163 of the BNSS were in place, and the protesters became “unruly, aggressive and violent” after refusing repeated directions to disperse. Police said the force was used only to maintain law and order and prevent protesters from entering the heavily guarded parliament area.
(With inputs from agencies)
