Sitharaman Denies Government Attempted to Stop Student Protests

Nirmala Sitharaman, the Union Finance Minister, said that the government did not try to stop students from protesting about exam paper leaks.

She was talking to NDTV at the Business Leadership Awards 2026.

She mentioned that young people often join protests, and the government respects their energy and right to protest.

However, students feel that their concerns are not being properly addressed by the government.

The protests were led by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), and the main demand was the resignation of Dharmendra Pradhan, who was the Union Education Minister.

The government took action by arresting those involved in the paper leaks and ensuring that re-examinations were conducted on time.