A Conversation That Confirmed What I Was Already Thinking.
This morning, my phone rang. The caller is a hardcore NCP, Congress, and Shiv Sena (UBT) sympathiser who also holds an important organisational position in one of the MVA parties.
After the usual greetings, our conversation naturally shifted to the ongoing NEET protests—the aftermath, why they happened, and what they could mean for the BJP now.
Let me make one thing clear: he is an MVA sympathiser. Yet what he said echoed almost exactly what had been running through my own mind.
Last week, I had written that the BJP’s political calculations had gone badly wrong in the NEET paper leak issue. The matter escalated to the point where the Prime Minister had to release three videos, a Union Minister resigned, and the government found itself on the defensive.
First, the BJP has historically been quick to recognise public sentiment and respond when the mood on the streets becomes impossible to ignore. That does not mean it will now bow to every protest. If anything, this episode should encourage the government to become more transparent, accountable, and proactive. Secondly, So those of you, expecting now protests will be the next big thing all the time, dream on!
The next issue brewing up is the ethanol controversy.
Tehseen Poonawalla has raised questions that deserve answers, and it increasingly appears that Nitin Gadkari could become the next political target. Unlike former Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, Gadkari has had a much longer public and political career, giving opponents far more material to scrutinise. Whether that translates into anything substantial remains to be seen.
Coming back to my conversation, the MVA sympathiser told me something I completely agreed with.
He said:
“Vikrant, even many people on the Right did not like what happened during these protests. Even many of the Right too supported the students and demanded transparency, but the abusive attacks on the Prime Minister, the assault on policemen, and the destruction of public property crossed the line.”
I agreed.
The genuine students who sparked this movement should never become collateral damage. If peaceful students have faced punitive action, the government should review those cases and withdraw action wherever appropriate.
Interestingly, CJP founder Dipke himself acknowledged that anti-India elements and disruptive groups had infiltrated the protests to hijack a legitimate student movement.
What Exactly Is CJP’s Objection?
Dipke had earlier stated that those responsible for violence, abusive slogans, and unlawful acts were outsiders who did not represent his supporters.
If that is indeed the case, then shouldn’t CJP support action against those specific individuals instead of opposing the entire law enforcement process?
Those who attacked police personnel, vandalised public property, or attempted to derail a peaceful student movement should face the law. Innocent students, however, should be protected.
If CJP itself accepts that anti-social elements infiltrated the protests, then why is it now objecting to the government’s action against those accused of violence?
That is a question that deserves an answer.
A New Lease of Life for the Opposition
There is little doubt that this episode has injected fresh energy into an opposition that had appeared politically dormant, particularly in Maharashtra. Dipke has, for the moment, given it a rallying point.
However, Maharashtra is a politically unique state.
Many opposition parties may now attempt to replicate this strategy through younger leaders such as Aaditya Thackeray and Rohit Pawar. But there is one major difference.
People are still trying to understand who Dipke is. Leaders such as Aaditya Thackeray, Rohit Pawar, Uddhav Thackeray, and Raj Thackeray are already familiar political faces. Voters have watched them for years and have largely formed their opinions.
For that reason, I am not convinced that the same political formula will produce identical results in Maharashtra.
Even if much of Bollywood or other influential voices oppose the BJP, Maharashtra’s politics has traditionally been shaped more by local political realities than celebrity endorsements.
Whether this momentum becomes a lasting political movement or remains a temporary surge of public anger is something only time will answer.
Vikrant Meena Hemant Joshi.
