Students' concern genuine: Murli Manohar Joshi slams use of force against protesters

Murli Manohar Joshi has backed students protesting over the alleged NEET paper leak and criticised the police response. He said their concerns deserve empathy and warned that force could alienate wider society.

In Short

• Murli Manohar Joshi supports students protesting NEET paper leak
• Calls their concerns genuine and deserving of empathy
• Warns force may alienate public from India's development goals

Veteran BJP leader and former party president Murli Manohar Joshi on Thursday came out in support of the students protesting against the alleged NEET paper leak, saying their concerns over the examination system are genuine and deserve empathy rather than force.

In a post on X, Joshi said it was "painful" to see young students from different parts of the country gathered on the streets of New Delhi for days to protest.

"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 wrote.

Referring to the police action against the protesters on Monday, Joshi urged the authorities not to treat the issue merely as a law-and-order problem.

"I fervently hope that this is not treated merely as a law-and-order issue to be tackled through the use of force," the former Union minister said.

Joshi also criticised the police crackdown on students, calling the use of force "merciless." He expressed particular concern over the treatment of women protesters.

"It is very painful to see that even young girls were brutally mishandled," he said.

The BJP veteran warned that such action could distance people from the government's larger developmental vision.

"Such use of force shall alienate large sections of Indian society from the national goal of Viksit Bharat," Joshi said.

In his statement, Joshi maintained that the anxieties and concerns of the protesting students regarding the examination system are genuine and must be addressed with empathy and a desire to find a lasting solution. He reiterated that the issue should not be handled solely through the use of force.

- Ends