Dialogue better than confrontation: Anna Hazare to PM over CJP protest violence

The letter comes two days after the CJP's 'Chalo Sansad' march on the opening day of the Monsoon Session, organised over alleged examination irregularities and demands for the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. The protest later turned violent, with police using tear gas and lathis to disperse demonstrators.

In Short

• Hazare called reports of violence and police action during protests painful
• He says violence has no place in democracy
• He links student anger to paper leaks, recruitment delays, unemployment

Veteran activist Anna Hazare has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressing concern over the violence and police action during the Cockroach Janta Party's protests in Delhi, urging the government to engage in dialogue with protesting students and address their concerns.

In his letter, Hazare said reports of violence and police action were "painful" and added that violence, damage to public property and unnecessary use of force had no place in a democracy.

He said the concerns of young people over paper leaks, delays in recruitment processes, unemployment and other issues should not be viewed merely as law-and-order challenges but as a reflection of wider social distress and expectations.

The letter comes two days after the CJP's 'Chalo Sansad' march, which was organised to protest alleged examination irregularities and demand the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. The protest later turned violent, with police using tear gas and lathis to disperse demonstrators.

HAZARE CALLS FOR ACCOUNTABILITY

Referring to the NEET controversy, Hazare said irregularities in the examination system had caused anxiety among students and parents. He argued that accountability for administrative failures should not be limited to lower-level officials and that senior authorities must also be held responsible.

"When irregularities emerge in government functioning, placing the entire responsibility on lower-level employees while taking credit for positive outcomes is not appropriate," Hazare wrote.

Backing the demand for accountability over the NEET issue, Hazare said removing a minister over failures in a department would not weaken the government. Instead, he said, it would send a message that ministers would be held accountable for the functioning of their departments.

"Dialogue is always a better path than confrontation in a democracy," Hazare said, urging the government not to view the people's voice as the voice of the Opposition.

He added that differences were natural in a democracy, but they should be resolved through dialogue, sensitivity and mutual respect.

LETTER COMES AMID POLITICAL ROW

Hazare's intervention comes amid an escalating political confrontation between the government and the Opposition over the handling of the protests.

The Modi government has come under sustained criticism after Delhi Police detained several Opposition leaders, including Rahul Gandhi, during a protest outside Prime Minister Narendra Modi's residence, a day after violence erupted during the CJP's 'Chalo Sansad' march.

While the Centre has repeatedly maintained that it is open to discussing the NEET issue, including in Parliament, it has firmly rejected the Opposition's demand for the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.

Even a meeting between CJP representatives and Union Health Minister JP Nadda on July 20 failed to break the impasse, with the two sides remaining divided over the protesters' core demands, particularly Pradhan's resignation.

HAZARE BACKS DIALOGUE WITH WANGCHUK

Hazare also expressed concern over the removal of activist Sonam Wangchuk from his hunger strike site, saying the government should have initiated talks with the protesters before taking action.

He questioned why no government representative or secretary-level official had engaged with the agitators despite the protest continuing for several days.

His remarks echoed a similar appeal he made on Saturday, when he urged the Centre to open a dialogue with Wangchuk, saying the government should not shy away from discussions even if it disagreed with his demands.

Wangchuk is currently admitted to a private hospital and is on the 25th day of his indefinite hunger strike.

"The government should not test his limits. Say yes or no to his demands, but what is wrong in holding discussions?" Hazare had said in a video message.

Hazare's interventions carry significance because his own anti-corruption hunger strike at Delhi's Ramlila Maidan in 2011 triggered a nationwide movement that eventually led to the enactment of the Lokpal Act.

- Ends