Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) member and actress Rupali Ganguly on 22 July weighed in on the ongoing student protests at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi, urging demonstrators to remain peaceful while affirming that their core demand — accountability over paper leaks — is legitimate. Ganguly shared her views in a detailed post on social media platform X, warning that violence risks delegitimising a genuine student movement.

What Ganguly Said

In her post, Ganguly drew a clear line between protesters and those she described as exploiting the movement. 'Those who take the law into their own hands, vandalize public property, and attack the police cannot be called students. Such actions only weaken a legitimate cause,' she wrote.

She acknowledged the core grievance directly: 'The demand for justice over paper leaks is valid. Students deserve a fair examination system, accountability, and strong safeguards to ensure that such incidents never happen again.'

Ganguly also noted that governments and investigating agencies have, in recent cases, 'launched probes, arrested suspects, and initiated legal action against those allegedly involved,' and that steps have been announced to strengthen examination processes.

Warning Against Political Hijacking

The actress-politician cautioned students against what she termed the infiltration of 'anti-national or politically motivated elements' into the movement. 'If anti-national or politically motivated elements exploit student movements for their own agenda, it harms the very students seeking justice,' she wrote.

Her closing appeal was direct: 'To every student and every citizen: protest peacefully, stay united, and do not let anyone hijack your movement or manipulate your emotions for political or ideological agendas. Your future is too important to become someone else's tool.'

The Protests: Background and Escalation

The demonstrations at Jantar Mantar have their immediate roots in the NEET paper leak controversy, which brought widespread allegations of irregularities in competitive examinations to a boil. Climate activist and Ladakh advocate Sonam Wangchuk has been on an indefinite hunger strike demanding the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over the alleged exam irregularities.

Wangchuk, who had completed 21 days of his strike, was removed by Delhi Police from the protest site in the early hours of 18 July and shifted to a hospital, with authorities citing his deteriorating health, medical advice, and compliance with a Delhi High Court order. He has since entered day 24 of the strike and has vowed to continue.

On 20 July, protesters at Jantar Mantar were lathi-charged, leading to violent clashes with law enforcement — an incident that further inflamed tensions across the country.

Spread and Volatility

The political atmosphere has grown increasingly charged, with protests spreading from metros to tier-1 cities. The situation remains tense in New Delhi, with ripple effects reported in cities including Mumbai and Kolkata. Ganguly's statement comes at a moment when political voices across the spectrum are being scrutinised for how they frame the student unrest.

With Wangchuk's hunger strike entering its fourth week and no sign of the Education Minister's resignation, the standoff shows little sign of resolution in the near term.