Congress leader Shashi Tharoor has taken a poetic swipe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the Centre's announcement of fast-track courts to deal with examination paper leaks, suggesting that the government’s response to the issue came too late.
Tharoor’s remarks come just hours after Prime Minister Modi announced that fast-track courts would be established to ensure swift and stringent punishment for those involved in paper leaks. The announcement came amid the number of student protests over alleged irregularities in the NEET-UG examination and wider concerns of India’s competitive examination system.
Tharoor quoted a famous couplet by Pakistani Urdu poet Munir Niazi on the prime minister’s statement. The Congress leader wrote on X, “Hamesha der kar deta hu mein kaam karne mein, jaroori baat kehni ho koi, vada nibhana ho...” The lines are loosely translated, and convey the attitude of someone who is always late in doing what needs to be done if you are to say something important or keep a promise.
Tharoor did not directly respond to the criticism but it was widely seen as a comment on the timing of the government’s announcement. The Congress leader’s reaction came after months of anger and protests over allegations of paper leaks and examination-related irregularities.
As Prime Minister Modi told students in his message, it is now the government’s top priority to protect the country’s youth’s future and welfare. He said the Centre had set up fast-track courts to make sure that those responsible for paper leaks were punished quickly and harshly.
As the Prime Minister said, “nothing is more important than the welfare and future of our youth,” he told the nation’s youth that the government had been instructed to act to protect the interests of all students. He also warned that those who would damage the future of young people would not be spared: “There’s nothing more important than the welfare and future of our youth,” he said.
The decision has also come at a time of growing student movement led by Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), which has been demanding accountability for the NEET-UG exam malpractices and has called for the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.
CJP‘s sit-in protest at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar has continued for several weeks and has drawn students and supporters from different parts of the country. The protests intensified after the police clashed with protesters when the proposal of a march towards Parliament led to confrontations, which has led to a political debate over the handling of the demonstrations.
Climate activist and education campaigner Sonam Wangchuk has also continued his hunger strike in support of the students’ concerns. On Thursday he extended his fast for the 26th day, putting pressure on the government to respond to the protesters’ demands.
While the Centre has always offered assurances and invited protesters for discussions, the CJP has maintained that announcements alone are not enough. The organisation has been calling for stronger accountability, changes to the examination system, and actions against those responsible for alleged lapses.
Tharoor's poetic response has now created a political aspect to the government's latest announcement, with the Opposition questioning whether the measures should have been introduced earlier. The paper leaks, student rights, and examination reforms are surely going to be an ongoing political issue as protests continue across the country.
