Mumbai, July 22: Social activist Anna Hazare on Wednesday wrote a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, saying violence and police action during the students' ongoing protest in Delhi were "deeply distressing", and asserted that "dialogue" was always preferable to confrontation in a democracy.
In the letter, he also said that taking the resignation of a minister would not weaken the government but send a strong message to other ministers about accountability and improve governance.
Hazare's letter comes in the wake of the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) and opposition parties, including the Congress, seeking the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over irregularities in the NEET exam.
Hazare Stresses Ministerial Accountability
In the letter, he said, "If accountability is fixed and the resignation of a minister is taken, the government will not lose power. Rather, it will send a clear message to other ministers that if they do not discharge the responsibilities of their departments properly, they too will have to relinquish their posts. This will make the functioning of the government more accountable and effective."
Hazare said the reports of violence and police action during the ongoing protest in New Delhi were deeply distressing, and added that violence, damage to public property and excessive use of force should be avoided under all circumstances in a democracy.
The Gandhian further stated that millions of young people across the country were worried over issues such as examination paper leaks, delays in recruitment processes and unemployment, and these concerns should not be viewed merely as law-and-order issues but as expressions of public anguish.
NEET Irregularities Raise Concerns
Referring to the NEET examination, Hazare said that allegations of question paper leaks and serious irregularities had surfaced in 2024 and similar incidents had again emerged this year when around 2.2 million students appeared for the examination.
He also referred to media reports claiming that 22 students died by suicide due to despair and alleged irregularities in the re-examination results.
The activist also maintained that whenever irregularities or scams came to light, responsibility was often fixed only on lower-level officials while the government claimed credit for positive outcomes, asserting that the ultimate responsibility rested with those occupying senior positions.
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Calls For Dialogue With Protesters
Hazare wrote that students and parents had been peacefully protesting for the past 25 days seeking the resignation of the minister concerned, and said the government should respond with accountability rather than treating the issue only as a law-and-order matter.
Activist Sonam Wangchuk was forcibly removed from his venue of fast without any meaningful dialogue, he said, and alleged that no government representative or secretary-level official had engaged with the protesters despite the prolonged agitation.
A dialogue was always preferable to confrontation in a democracy, the social activist said, urging the Prime Minister not to view the voice of the people as the voice of political opponents.
The government should patiently listen to the protesters, build trust and resolve differences through constructive dialogue in keeping with Gandhian principles and democratic values, he added.
CJP Protest Continues
The CJP agitation began on June 20, demanding accountability over alleged examination irregularities, reforms in the education system and the resignation of Pradhan.
Wangchuk, who joined the protest on June 28 and has been on an indefinite hunger strike since then, has continued his fast from Medanta Hospital after being shifted there from Safdarjung Hospital in Delhi following a Delhi High Court order.
Wangchuk has said he will continue the fast until accountability is fixed in the education system or political leaders assure him that the issue will be taken up in Parliament.
(Except for the headline, this article has not been edited by FPJ's editorial team and is auto-generated from an agency feed.)
