The allegation by a BJP MLA on Tuesday that the ongoing protest at Delhi's Jantar Mantar was backed by "foreign funding" and aimed at targeting "Hindu, Hindutva and Sanatan", prompted sharp reactions from the Congress and the Samajwadi Party.
Rakesh Singh, BJP MLA from Harchandpur Assembly constituency in Raebareli district, made the remarks in a post on Facebook.
"Our young brothers should remain alert. The protest taking place at Jantar Mantar is not merely about the paper leak. It is aimed at targeting Hindus, Hindutva, Sanatan and eventually capturing the country. That is why foreign funding is being used to mobilise anti-national and anti-religion parties and people," Singh claimed in the Hindi post.
The remarks came amid continuing protests by students and job aspirants at Delhi's Jantar Mantar over alleged irregularities in NEET and other competitive examinations, demanding the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.
Reacting to the BJP legislator's remarks, Congress spokesperson Manish Hindvi accused the ruling party of trying to divert attention from the core issues.
"This is pseudo-nationalism. Whenever students protest, they are branded. Earlier, Jamia students were called Pakistanis and JNU students were labelled anti-national. Now, when young people are protesting against irregularities in examinations like NEET, a BJP MLA is alleging foreign funding," Hindvi told PTI.
The BJP cannot run away from issues such as unemployment and repeated paper leaks. This is not anger of a single day but the result of growing frustration over time, he added.
Samajwadi Party spokesperson Abbas Haider also slammed the ruling dispensation over the lawmaker's remarks.
"It is unfortunate that a ruling BJP MLA has chosen to malign the country's youth instead of addressing their genuine concerns. Students and job aspirants are peacefully exercising their democratic and constitutional right to protest. Branding them as foreign-funded or anti-national is an attempt to deflect attention from the real issues. This reflects the BJP's mindset -- whenever citizens ask questions, they are labelled and defamed instead of being heard," Haider told PTI.
On Monday, as protests spiked at Jantar Mantar in Delhi, several workers and functionaries of Samajwadi Party also held protests over the NEET issue in parts of Uttar Pradesh, including state capital Lucknow. Senior leader and MP Dimple Yadav also joined protestors at Jantar Mantar, extending support to their demands.
