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New Delhi: Four days since protesters in the national capital who responded to the Cockroach Janta Party’s Sansad Chalo march were met with Delhi Police’s brute force, Prime Minister Narendra Modi released a tweet speaking of the future of the country’s youth. Almost immediately afterwards, a few of the Bharatiya Janata Party’s prominent leaders endorsed Modi’s message, repeating the necessity to bring the NEET paper leak accused to task.

What they haven’t done is issue any statements on the state action or speak of the resignation of education minister Dharmendra Pradhan.

On the morning of July 23, Prime Minister Narendra Modi made his first reference to protests taking place in his backyard and said on X that fast track courts will be set up to ensure swift punishment for exam paper leaks, and “nothing is more important than the welfare and future of our youth”.

Among those who responded with immediate quote-tweets was the Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta who said that under Modi’s leadership, “safeguarding the interests of students and securing a bright future for the youth is [their] utmost priority.”

MP Nishikant Dubey also chimed in with a quote-tweet saying “no criminal will be spared,” as did Tejasvi Surya, who said, “The focus is on reforms.”

Modi’s statement, as well as those of Gupta, Dubey and Surya, has been silent on Pradhan or the brutality unleashed by the police on Monday. Nor has any statement come from Union home minister Amit Shah under whose direct control the Delhi Police functions.

Pressers from BJP and what they said

On Wednesday, the BJP sent out union ministers Rajnath Singh and J.P. Nadda to issue statements and press conferences in which they accused the opposition of using the protests as “political tools” and seeking “political mileage” while claiming that the government remains “sensitive” to youth concerns. BJP MP Bansuri Swaraj on the other hand was deputed to hold a press conference in which she accused the CJP of spreading fake narratives while the government was ready for dialogue. Swaraj was also among BJP leaders who amplified Modi’s morning tweet on X.

Inside parliament, Union parliamentary affairs minister Kiren Rijiju in the Lok Sabha and Nadda in the Rajya Sabha sought to assuage opposition anger in the House and said that the government is “ready” for a discussion on NEET paper leaks. The impasse however, continued, as the opposition said that no discussion can take place until Pradhan resigns.

At the pressers or in the parliament, none of the BJP leaders made any mention of the scale of police action unleashed........

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