Aam Aadmi Party convenor Arvind Kejriwal has sharply criticised the Delhi Police for the use of force against protesting students and teachers at Jantar Mantar, denouncing the lathicharge as an assault on the hopes and future of India's youth.
The former Delhi Chief Minister said the police action, allegedly ordered to curb a demonstration against irregularities in the Staff Selection Commission (SSC) exams, symbolised the government’s indifference to the aspirations of the nation’s educated young generation.
“The country's youth are out on the streets, facing police batons, simply for asking questions about their future,” Kejriwal wrote on social media platform X, while sharing a video of the incident.
He added, “SSC exams have the power to change the lives of lakhs of youth, but when the entire process itself comes under suspicion, how can trust remain? These lathis haven't just struck young bodies--they've struck at the hopes and dreams of an entire generation. The youth are now asking: how long will the system continue to mock our hard work? The government will have to answer.”
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The Aam Aadmi Party accused the BJP-led central government of displaying a “dictatorial mindset” by ordering what it called a “merciless” crackdown on peaceful protestors. It said those being beaten were simply demanding accountability and transparency in a recruitment process riddled with anomalies.
According to AAP, protestors were objecting to the use of a company previously blacklisted for its role in the Indore Patwari exam scam. Despite its controversial record, the same firm was tasked with conducting one of India’s most significant recruitment examinations, second only to the UPSC.
“The company that received the tender failed to conduct examinations properly at several centres,” AAP stated. “The students' demands were legitimate--they were only trying to present their case before the SSC Commission.”
The party further said that technical failures, abrupt exam cancellations, and the selection of tainted contractors had eroded public trust in the process.
It also noted that students were not demanding favours but fairness. “Even highly educated students cannot sit for their exams without facing irregularities. The anger of the students is entirely justified,” AAP said in a statement.
The protest, which included both students and teachers, has once again ignited debate over recruitment transparency and exam integrity in India.
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