Students' Concerns Genuine, Must Be Handled With Empathy: BJP Veteran MM Joshi

Former BJP chief Murli Manohar Joshi has called for handling the youth protest in Delhi with empathy as their concerns were "genuine". In a post on X, Joshi pointed out the use of force by the police on protesting students would alienate large sections of people from the national goal of "Viksit Bharat (developed India)".

"It is painful to see young students from different parts of the country assembled for days on the streets of 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 said in a post in Hindi.

"I fervently hope that this is not treated merely as a law-and-order issue to be tackled through the use of force. It is very painful to see that even young girls were brutally mishandled. Such use of force shall alienate large sections of Indian society from the national goal of Viksit Bharat," he said.

It is painful to see young students from different parts of the country assembled for days on the streets of 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. I fervently…

— Dr. Murli Manohar Joshi (@DrMurliManohar_) July 23, 2026

The protest at Jantar Mantar began on June 6, led by the satirical political group Cockroach Janta Party (CPJ). Apart from the NEET paper leak, they raised alleged irregularities in the CBSE's on-screen marking process, besides seeking wider reforms in the conduct of public examinations.

The protest gained wider attention after Ladakh activist Sonam Wangchuk joined with an indefinite hunger strike on June 28.