Senior BJP leader and Former Punjab BJP president Sunil Jakhar urged young people protesting over the NEET paper leak to remain vigilant and ensure that their movement is not taken over by political interests. He reiterated that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had already cognisant of students’ concerns and expressed the government’s commitment to addressing their demands.
Addressing a press conference, Jakhar said that “our children are are our pride and the nation’s wealth.” He stated that the issues raised by the students protesting in Delhi should be resolved through dialogue rather than through police intervention.
He acknowledged that disruptive elements often try to exploit large public protests and create disorder, but maintained that the police should have excercised more restraint and that the situation should have been handled in a more sensitive manner.He also said that police force should likewise have been avoided against Punjab’s MGNREGA workers and sanitation workers during their protests in Punjab.
Expressing concern over what he described as the politicization of the students’ movement, Jakhar said the BJP fully understands the emotions and the pain and anguish of students. He noted that the Prime Minister has already announced a fast-track court hearing into the NEET paper leak case and that the government remains willing to engage in discussions with students as well as debate the issue in Parliament.
Jakhar further said that under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Government of India has consistently remained committed to improving medical and technical education. According to him:
* The number of medical colleges has increased from 387 in 2014 to 823.
* The number of IITs has increased from 7 to 23.
* Medical seats have risen from 51,000 to 136,939.
* ₹40 lakh crore has been provided under the Mudra Yojana to encourage entrepreneurship among young people.
* ₹65,000 crore in education loans has been provided for students.
* He claimed that while the education budget during the Congress government was ₹8,500 crore, it now stands at ₹1.4 lakh crore under the current government.
Jakhar said these figures demonstrate the BJP’s commitment to education and students.
He added that wherever shortcomings exist in the system, the government is continuously working to correct them. However, he warned students to remain alert because political parties are trying to exploit their movement for their own interests, while disruptive elements could divert their enthusiasm in the wrong direction.
Referring to Arvind Kejriwal’s presence during the protests, Jakhar said people should remember what happened to Anna Hazare’s anti-corruption movement, arguing that others benefited politically while Hazare himself was sidelined. He also cautioned that Sonam Wangchuk and Deepake should not end up becoming mere pawns in a similar way.
Jakhar questioned why the Opposition was preventing Parliament from functioning when the government had expressed its willingness to hold a discussion on the issue. According to him, the Opposition should put their arguments, facts, reasoning and suggestions on the floor of the Parliament if they rally are concerned about the welfare of the students.
Concluding, the former Punjab BJP president reiterated that the Modi government is fully aware of students’ concerns and remains committed to reforming the system in line with their aspirations. He urged students to choose dialogue with the government to prevent their movement from being diverted in the wrong direction or exploited for political purpose