Veteran BJP leader and former Education Minister of India, Dr Murli Manohar Joshi on Thursday said that he was ‘pained’ to see the brutal crackdown on protesters during the Cockroach Janta Party’s July 20 march to Parliament, warning that such use of force will alienate society.
In a social media post on X, Joshi wrote, “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 urged the Narendra Modi-led government not to treat the CJP protest merely as a law-and-order issue to be tackled through the use of force.
Joshi warned that such use of force would alienate a large section of Indian society from the goal of a developed India.
“It is very painful to see that even young girls were brutally mishandled. Such use of force will alienate large sections of Indian society from the national goal of Viksit Bharat,” the BJP veteran said.
His remarks came amid nationwide outrage over police brutality against student protesters during their march to Parliament on Monday.
The Delhi Police, which reports to the Union Home Ministry, fired tear gas shells and resorted to a baton charge on protesters demanding Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation over paper leaks.
Hundreds of protesters were injured in the police crackdown, with some unconfirmed reports suggesting that pellet guns were also used by the security personnel.
Following the crackdown, the protest intensified into a larger, nationwide movement as students across several cities hit the streets.
The Cockroach Janta Party, which has been spearheading the agitation, has called for a nationwide peaceful protest on Friday, urging students, civil society groups and others to gather at district headquarters in solidarity with the students.