Veteran Bharatiya Janata Party leader and former Union minister Murli Manohar Joshi on Thursday voiced concern over the treatment of students protesting in the national capital over alleged irregularities in the examination system.
In a post on X, Joshi said the anxieties expressed by students who had travelled from different parts of the country were genuine and should be addressed with empathy and a commitment to finding a lasting solution.
“It is painful to see young students from different parts of the country assembled for days on the streets of New Delhi,” he wrote. “Their anxieties and concerns regarding the examination system are genuine and must be handled with empathy and a desire to find a lasting solution.”
Joshi cautioned the authorities against treating the demonstrations merely as a law-and-order problem and relying on force to disperse protesters.
“I fervently hope that this is not treated merely as a law-and-order issue to be tackled through the use of force,” he said, adding that it was particularly distressing to see young women allegedly being mishandled.
The former BJP president warned that the use of force against students could alienate sections of society and undermine the national vision of a “Viksit Bharat”, or developed India.
“Such use of force shall alienate large sections of Indian society from the national goal of Viksit Bharat,” Joshi said.
His intervention came amid continuing student-led protests in Delhi over alleged examination paper leaks and wider concerns about the credibility and administration of competitive examinations. Protesters have sought accountability, reforms to the examination system and action against those responsible for alleged irregularities.
Joshi’s remarks represent a notable appeal from a senior BJP figure for dialogue and restraint as the government faces growing pressure to respond to the students’ demands.