Political tension over the NEET examination and legislative impasses is getting more acute as the opposition parties coordinate their next steps. Rahul Gandhi, the leader of the INDIA bloc, suggested to the alliance that a joint delegation of opposition leaders visit students in Bihar who have been arrested and punished by the police for protesting in recent days. The proposal was easily accepted by other allied leaders and it was agreed that the delegation should go there during the Monsoon session of Parliament. By doing so, the opposition will keep pressure on the central government and student grievances in the forefront of their political campaign inside and outside the parliament, though it is not yet known when or where the delegation is to visit.
Gandhi’s parliamentary strategy comes after he was critical of Modi in the past for allegations that police officers used excessive force against protesting students in Bihar. The opposition insists that the alleged crackdown on young aspirants looking to be held to account for unfair competitive exams should be the most important issue. Meanwhile, Gandhi’s wider campaign is being hampered on the ground. The students' interaction event in Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh that was planned as "Chhatron Ki Goonj" and scheduled for a Saturday saw the local venue provider revoke permission because of an Allahabad High Court order. Despite these logistical obstacles, Gandhi said the ruling government won’t be able to take away his efforts to make the voices of students and young people heard.
Despite institutional resistance, Gandhi continues to expand his digital outreach to Generation Z. On Thursday, Gandhi launched an interactive "Ask Me Anything" session on Instagram for students from all over the country to ask questions directly to him and he promised to answer as many as possible. A day before that, Gandhi met a delegation of students who had been on the front line of large protests demanding answers to paper leaks, and were confronted with police violence on July 20. The political tensions between the ruling party and the opposition are also in its midst and both sides are trying to wrest power back from India’s students, who are increasingly questioning the government’s handling of national recruitment examinations.
