Congress MP Imran Masood on Tuesday welcomed the decision of BJP-led governments in Bihar and Assam to withdraw FIRs registered against students who participated in the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP)-led protests over the alleged examination paper leak.
The FIRs had been registered against student protesters in Bihar, Assam and West Bengal during the nationwide agitation. The protests ended after the Central government assured the CJP that no cases would be filed against students and that existing cases would be withdrawn. However, after reports emerged that FIRs had still been lodged, the CJP warned that it would resume its agitation.
Following the warning, the BJP-led governments in Bihar and Assam issued official notifications announcing the withdrawal of cases registered against the protesting students.
Reacting to the development, Masood said the changing political mood in the country showed that attempts to divide people on religious lines would no longer succeed.
“The atmosphere of the country has changed. The Hindu-Muslim narrative will no longer work. You can’t mislead this new generation, that is, Gen Z, with Hindu-Muslim talk,” he told ANI during the ongoing Monsoon Session of Parliament.
Congress Questions Government’s Exam Reform Law
Meanwhile, other Congress leaders criticised the BJP-led Central government over the implementation of the Public Examination (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2024.
Congress leader Nana Patole questioned the government’s intent behind the proposed amendments to the law, arguing that stringent legal provisions already exist but have not been effectively enforced.
“The bill should definitely be discussed. But my main question is, laws already exist in the country. A 10-year prison sentence was there before and is there today. There’s nothing new about it,” Patole said.
The opposition has continued to demand stronger accountability over examination irregularities, arguing that merely introducing stricter laws will not prevent paper leaks unless they are implemented effectively. The debate comes amid continuing political discussions over examination reforms and the handling of recent nationwide student protests.
