No sense? Hema Malini's remarks on CJP, student protests trigger social media storm

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Hema Malini drew criticism on social media on Monday after defending the Centre's record on education, criticising street protests over the NEET-UG 2026 paper leak controversy and urging demonstrating students to resolve the issue through dialogue. The actor-politician also urged the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) not to mislead students, triggering further reactions online.

Speaking to reporters, Hema Malini said protests were not the solution and maintained that the Modi government had consistently supported young people and the education sector.

"If there is a problem, it should be discussed properly. Protesting in this manner won't achieve anything. As for the country's youth and the education system, our Modi government has always stood by them and done a great deal of work; given that, the protests you are staging now make no sense at all. All I would say is that this matter should be resolved through dialogue," she said.

Asked about protesters' demand for Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan's resignation, Hema Malini declined to comment in detail.

"I would not like to comment much on this issue right now. Whatever stand needs to be taken, our government will take," she said.

Her remarks came as the Monsoon Session of Parliament opened with the NEET-UG 2026 paper leak emerging as a key flashpoint.

Users question government's commitment to dialogue

Many social media users said Hema Malini's appeal overlooked the fact that students had been protesting peacefully and alleged that they were met with police action instead of meaningful engagement.

Several users argued that the right to protest is a fundamental democratic right and questioned why students seeking education reforms were being criticised for demonstrating. Others said the government should focus on preventing paper leaks and restoring credibility to the examination system rather than asking students to refrain from protests.

A section of users also questioned the government's commitment to dialogue, citing the reported police response to the protest and referring to earlier demonstrations, including climate activist Sonam Wangchuk's hunger strike. They argued that authorities should engage directly with students and address their concerns before urging them to abandon protests.

Some users renewed demands for accountability from the Union Education Ministry, with several reiterating calls for Dharmendra Pradhan's resignation over the handling of the alleged paper leak controversy. Others criticised what they described as a lack of responsiveness to students' concerns and urged the government to prioritise reforms to safeguard the integrity of competitive examinations.

Political reactions

Meanwhile, the BJP called for dialogue, while the Opposition accused the government of failing to restore confidence in the country's education and examination systems.

Congress MP Deepender Singh Hooda said repeated paper leak incidents had eroded students' trust and alleged that Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan had failed to provide satisfactory answers on the issue.

The student demonstration began at Jantar Mantar and caused traffic disruptions as security was tightened around Parliament on the opening day of the Monsoon Session.

Police were deployed in large numbers and carried out a mild lathi charge to disperse protesters. According to a Delhi Police advisory, protest marches, processions, demonstrations and assemblies of five or more people are prohibited except at the designated protest site at Jantar Mantar with prior permission.