On Thursday, July 23, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi made his first public response to youth protests currently rocking the capital of New Delhi.
Growing anger over exam paper leaks, which affected nearly two million students last month, ignited month-long protests.
The youth-led Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) is at the forefront in demanding education reforms and the resignation of the education minister.
Clashes between protestors and police have already been reported since Monday, the latest of which saw police fire tear gas and use canes to push protestors back.
‘Fast track’ courts to be set up
Responding to the protests, Modi vowed to set up “fast track” courts to investigate the exam paper leaks and those involved in the incident.
“This continues our series of steps for safeguarding the interests of students. Those who try to harm the future of our youth will not be spared,” he said on social media platform X, as cited by Reuters.
“Nothing is more important than the welfare and future of our youth!”
These special courts are often utilised to deal with sex crimes against women and children, terrorism, money laundering, and crimes by lawmakers.
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Resignation calls for education minister persist
The CJP has, however, made its demands clear, vowing to continue its month-long protest until Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan steps down.
“It has been 25 days so far. Even if it takes 25 months, that is acceptable, but we will not move from here,” CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke said in an address to protestors.
Local media have estimated the number of protesters at more than 10,000 on Wednesday, most of whom have been gathering at the Jantar Mantar protest site in central New Delhi.
News agency ANI, citing Delhi Police, said some protesters threw stones and plastic bottles, injuring a few officers.
Clashes started on Monday when thousands of protesters marched to Parliament, who were then pushed back in some places by tear gas and canes from police.
The situation also led to the temporary closure of 16 metro stations in and around central New Delhi on Thursday.
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Opposition echoes protestors’ demands
Minister Pradhan affirmed earlier this week the government’s commitment to addressing the paper leaks and other issues in the education sector.
Health Minister Jagat Prakash Nadda also held talks with two representatives of CJP, promising that their demands would be taken into account during internal discussions within the government.
Meanwhile, the opposition has weighed in on the issue and echoed the protesters’ demands during the monsoon session of Parliament that began this week.
Congress party leader Rahul Gandhi even headed a protest outside Modi’s house and the Parliament building. He was detained but released later.
“The idea was to protest outside the prime minister’s residence to bring to national attention the issues related to students, the way they were attacked by the Delhi Police on Monday, issues which are of utmost importance to the country,” Gandhi said in a video after his release, according to a report from the Press Trust of India.
Pradhan criticised Gandhi for the move, accusing him of exploiting the students as “political tools.”
“Even after Government conveyed its readiness for a comprehensive discussion, the Congress chose political spectacle over democratic debate,” he said in a post in X.
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KC Maderia 
Geoffrey H. Latayan 
Diana Mae Y. Cleto