New Delhi: In his first remarks on NEET irregularities after protesters stormed the heart of Delhi over the raging issue, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday asserted that strong action was taken against those involved in the “grave sin” of paper leaks so that no one plays with the future of the youth.
Modi said all state governments and the Centre must join hands on the issue as it is “not a matter of party politics but a matter of national interest”. He also told NDA MPs that they should remain closely connected with the people with “warmth and affection” and the “trust of the youth” needed to be won.
The comments are seen as an apparent effort to assuage the youth after thousands converged to participate in a march to Parliament on Monday called by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) on the first day of the Monsoon session to push for the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over the NEET fiasco, only to be pushed back by lathis and teargas shells.
Briefing journalists after a meeting of the NDA Parliamentary Party, which was named ‘Mangal Milan’ since it is held mostly on Tuesdays, Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju said the prime minister told the MPs that the government acted immediately after reports of the 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 prime minister termed as “ghor paap (grave sin)” the incident of paper leaks of the NEET examination, which was conducted for admission into undergraduate courses in medical colleges, sources said.
Rijiju told reporters the prime minister also said that strict steps have been taken to prevent such paper leaks in the future.
“The prime minister said strong action has been taken to ensure that no one plays with the future of youth. The prime minister also said that to ensure that no future paper leaks take place, all state governments and the Centre must join hands irrespective of party. This is not a matter of party politics but a matter of national interest,” Rijiju said.
The sources said Modi suggested that there is a need to “win the trust of the youth” and also suggested a national outreach among students on the issue, led by the MPs.
The prime minister pointed out that while the NEET re-examination incident created inconvenience for children, not only did the re-test take place without delay, but the government also engaged “dhurandar” (expert) lawyers to ensure strict punishment for those involved, sources said.
Modi, sources said, conveyed clearly that there should be no injustice to students and suggested that it was easy to misguide them but difficult to show them the right path.
Rijiju said the prime minister told the NDA MPs that those found involved in the paper leak racket have been arrested and jailed.
The prime minister also told the ruling alliance’s MPs that those guilty in paper leaks should be given the strictest possible punishment, with the support of the country’s top lawyers, so that they face exemplary for the grave offence and such incidents do not recur, he said.
Modi also stressed the need to punish the guilty and collaboratively establish a foolproof system.
The parliamentary affairs minister said the prime minister gave guidance to everyone present at the meeting.
He said that at the outset, the newly elected Rajya Sabha members, including BJP president Nitin Nabin, who was elected to the Upper House recently, were congratulated and wished success in Parliament.
Rijiju said the meeting was very productive as the prime minister spoke on several important issues.
The prime minister spoke about the achievements the country has made over the past few months and also briefed the NDA MPs on the free trade agreements (FTA) signed with several countries.
On the FTAs, Rijiju said, Modi assured the NDA members that the interests of farmers would be prioritised and emphasised that no harm would come to them.
The prime minister stressed that the welfare of farmers remains paramount in any FTA signed with any country and the government is ensuring that these agreements serve the best interests of both the farmers and the nation, he said.
Rijiju said the NDA would play a constructive role during the ongoing Monsoon Session.
“We are united in our resolve to ensure the passage of all important bills brought forward for the nation’s benefit. We also appeal to the opposition parties that while they may hold differing views, they should come forward to work together for the country, its future, and the youth,” he said.
BJP national general secretary and Rajya Sabha MP Tarun Chugh said Modi stressed that the nation must always come first and called upon MPs to work for its progress and prosperity.
“The prime minister asked all NDA MPs to dedicate every moment of their lives to the welfare of the nation. The nation comes first, and we must work for its progress and prosperity,” Chugh said.
BJP MP Shashank Mani Tripathi said the prime minister advised MPs to “go among the people and stay connected with them with warmth and affection”.
Ahead of the meeting, BJP said in a post on ‘X’ in Hindi, “Every atom of the Pradhan Sevak’s (PM Modi) body and every moment of his time are dedicated to the future of your children!”
The ruling party also posted on ‘X’ a video clip of the prime minister with an audio excerpt of his old speech in which he was heard saying, “Modi works hard so that when you are 40-45 years old, when your children are growing up, you can see them grow up in a developed India. That is why I am dedicating my life to this cause”.
