Jantar Mantar protest: BJP smells ‘foreign funding’, Congress retorts get a ‘new scriptwriter’

“The same forces and lobbies that were involved in religious conversions, and whose activities were restricted after the FCRA [Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act] was closed by Prime Minister Modi and Home Minister, are now trying to turn this into an issue.”

विदेशी ताक़तों ने विद्यार्थियों के आक्रोश को अपने अधीन कर लिया है। यह आंदोलन अब देश द्रोही ताक़त चला रहे हैं https://t.co/KqQzvjLxvX

— Dr Nishikant Dubey (@nishikant_dubey) July 23, 2026

In another post originally in Hindi, Dubey questioned the funding of the protest. “Where is the money coming from? What is the conspiracy? Whom did Rahul Gandhi meet during his foreign visits over the past 20 days? Who is the real player?,” he added.

A day before, the BJP MP had posted a video of Sikh Nihangs from Jantar Mantar alleging how pro-Khalistan and Islamic elements were conspiring to divide the country under the guise of student support

Dubey was joined by BJP’s IT cell head Amit Malviya, who alleged that the protests were planned well in advance.

“Three consecutive days of premeditated, unprovoked violence make one thing abundantly clear: the rioting and stone-pelting on day one were not spontaneous. They appear to have been planned well in advance. It is our collective responsibility to protect genuine students from being exploited by sections of the political opposition that are sponsoring this vandalism and anarchy,” he posted on X.

Malviya further said that there is “something deeply sinister” about these protests in the name of students.

“The slogans raised had little to do with education reforms or students’ welfare. Instead, they revolved around bringing down the elected government through every means except the ballot. The repeated references to Nepal and Bangladesh, however misconceived, left little doubt about the political intent behind the mobilisation,” he said.

“Then came the rhetoric. Arvind Kejriwal crossed every line with this threat to the Prime Minister. This is not a student movement. It is a political attempt to manufacture unrest and romanticise revolution. It will fail because the people of India believe in democracy, not anarchy.”

The Jantar Mantar protests spearheaded by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) have highlighted the anger evident among students and parents across the country regarding the NEET (National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test ) exam paper leak.

The Narendra Modi government has urged the Opposition to discuss the matter in Parliament, which it calls the appropriate forum for such issues.

Reacting to Dubey’s statement, senior Congress leader Supriya Shrinate said it has become a predictable template for the BJP and she was expecting it.

“None of this is surprising—it was predictable, and we were waiting for it. The BJP simply needs a new scriptwriter. Every time somebody tries to fix accountability, the BJP claims there is an international conspiracy instigating farmers, women athletes, and now the youth. It refuses to acknowledge that it has lost the plot,” she said.

The Congress national spokesperson further said that at a time when there is widespread anger and resentment across the country and the people are disappointed because they do not see a future, and believe there is zero accountability, the BJP is busy running this narrative.

“The fact that the government even celebrated the so called successful re-test of NEET at a time when so many youngsters had died… the education system as a whole has collapsed. The youth are out on the streets while Modi and Shah remain absent. Instead, the BJP is now pushing Nadda. The question is: why is the Prime Minister not coming to the House? Nishikant Dubey anyway is of no consequence, having been caught lying on several occasions,” she added.