Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday told National Democratic Alliance (NDA) MPs to reach out to the youth, dispel their concerns and make them aware of the Opposition’s attempts to create fear, said people aware of the details. He also called for stringent punishment for those involved in paper leaks so that the “menace” does not recur.
In his first remarks on exam irregularities and National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) question paper leaks, Modi called for strong action against those involved so that no one played with the future of the youth.
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The comments came a day after massive student protests demanding the resignation of Union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan rocked the Capital, marking one of the largest protests in recent years as tens of thousands of people marched to Parliament, braving police batons, tear gas and scores of barricades.
“The PM said there is a need to win the trust of the youth…the paper leaks were a great inconvenience to them but re- examinations have been conducted without glitches. And ‘dhurandhar’ (intrepid) lawyers should ensure that the harshest punishment is secured for those involved in paper leaks,” said a person aware of the details.
The PM was addressing the meeting of the NDA parliamentary party, now called Mangal Milan. He told the lawmakers that students should be assured that their interests will be protected and those who were responsible for the paper leaks will be dealt with as per law.
“He said the people who have been arrested will be given the harshest punishment… but students should be made aware of the conspiracies by the Opposition,” said the person quoted above.
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Paper leak ‘menace’
A third person privy to the details said, the PM pointed out that no state has been left untouched by the “menace which is run by gangs” and there is a need to ensure that “each one of them is punished”. “He said the government has taken tatkal (immediate) action and we need stringent punishment for the accused,” said the third person.
Massive protests inside and outside Parliament rocked the first day of the monsoon session as a phalanx of agitators marched in central Delhi demanding Pradhan’s resignation and the Opposition sought to corner the government inside the House. Crowds swelled through the weekend and by Monday morning, columns of people – many of them students, first-time agitators and young professionals – had defied a steady monsoon drizzle and heavy police barricading to join what is the first public protest in Modi’s third term.
Youth achievements, Skyroot example
The PM said the achievements of young people should be emulated and high-achievers should be seen as role models.
“The PM was emphatic that the youth of this country is making significant contributions in various sectors from IT and AI to the space sector. He cited the example of how he saw the achievements of the India youth during a visit to Paris. Referring to Skyroot (Aerospace’s maiden orbital launch of Vikram-1, India’s first privately developed launch vehicle), he said 28-year olds have done such spectacular work and by the time they turn 56, they will achieve much more unlike some leaders today…” said a second leader aware of the details. The age reference was a pot shot at Congress lawmaker Rahul Gandhi.
Rijiju on PM’s message
Addressing the media about the meeting, Union minister Kiren Rijiju said the PM informed NDA leaders that strongest possible steps are being taken to protect the interests of students; similarly, all interests of farmers were safeguarded in trade pacts, he added.
Union parliamentary affairs minister Kiren Rijiju said the PM told the MPs that the government acted immediately after reports of the NEET paper leak surfaced, and 13 people were arrested and sent to jail. “At the same time, the prime minister noted, to ensure that students’ future was not affected, the NEET re-examination was given priority, conducted successfully, and the results were declared without delay,” Rijiju said after the hour-long meeting.
“…The PM provided guidance to all… It was a very productive meeting. He addressed several significant issues and offered his guidance. He highlighted the successes the country has achieved in recent months and spoke about the FTAs signed with various nations,” Rijiju added.
The minister said the PM has assured that farmers’ interests will be prioritised and he emphasised that no harm would come to them. “He stated that the welfare of farmers remains paramount in any FTA signed with any country, ensuring that these agreements serve the best interests of both the farmers and the nation,” Rijiju said. The meeting was attended by the NDA MPs, including six MPs who recently joined the Shiv Sena.
Rebel TMC MPs await approval
Rebel TMC MPs who have joined the Nationalist Citizens Party of India (NCPI) were not part of the NDA as they are yet to formally join the coalition. Kakoli Dasgupta and Sudip Bandhopadhyay said they are awaiting the Lok Sabha Speaker’s approval for their proposed merger with the NCPI and are hopeful that they would be able to attend the NDA meeting next week.
The rebel group’s Lok Sabha floor leader Sudip Bandopadhyay told HT, “We will attend the NDA meeting next Tuesday. We could not attend the meeting today. But we are hopeful that the Lok Sabha Speaker will approve our merger by this week.”
