Modi announces fast-track courts for paper leaks
File photo: REUTERS
India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi issued a declaration to the nation’s youth on Thursday morning amid intensifying student demonstrations in Delhi and a tense standoff within the halls of Parliament.
In a post on the social media platform X, Modi said, “Nothing is more important than the welfare and future of our youth!”
He revealed the government’s decision to establish fast-track courts designed to provide rapid and severe penalties for those implicated in examination paper leaks. Modi instructed relevant authorities and officials to implement all essential measures to achieve this goal, framing the move as the latest in a sequence of actions intended to protect student interests.
Modi underscored the government’s resolve by stating, “Those who try to harm the future of our youth will not be spared.”
He noted that this initiative forms part of a broader effort by the administration to bring individuals involved in such scandals to justice.
This announcement coincided with ongoing protests from both the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) and opposition groups, who continue to press for the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.
Only minutes after Modi’s post, Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi countered by alleging that the prime minister himself has caused the most damage to the students’ prospects.
On X, Rahul said, “You are the one who has harmed the future of our youth the most. You allowed and encouraged the total capture and destruction of our education system - and protected every person responsible for it.”
He outlined clear requirements from the student body: the dismissal of Dharmendra Pradhan, a formal apology to the students, and legal action against individuals who committed assaults during the recent protests.
Rahul claimed on Wednesday that while more than 150 paper leaks occurred over the previous decade, not a single individual has faced conviction in these instances.
Earlier on Tuesday, during an NDA gathering, the Prime Minister had already condemned the leaks in strong terms, describing the issue as a “ghor paap” (grave sin).
Meanwhile, the opposition persists in demanding a direct statement from the Prime Minister on the floor of the House regarding both the leaks and the police crackdown on students that took place in Delhi on Monday.
The satirical front known as the Cockroach Janta Party echoed these sentiments on X, maintaining that “Dharmendra Pradhan must resign.”
While the government has expressed its willingness to hold a formal debate in parliament, it accuses the opposition of obstructing the process by making the education minister’s resignation a non-negotiable condition for any discussion.
As a result, the deadlock in parliament remains as both sides continue their showdown over the future of the national education system.
Source: NDTV (adapted)
