# Student protests echo history as centre faces crisis of legitimacy 2026-08-07T09:52:18+00:00 | Governance | Indian Opinion Desk Corroboration: 1 independent outlet On July 20, thousands of students marched on Jantar Mantar in Delhi protesting the NEET-UG paper leak, which forced cancellation of the exam taken by over 20 lakh aspirants. Delhi Police and RAF personnel used tear gas, lathis and pellets; a 19-year-old student, Sahil Lochab, was blinded in one eye. Opposition leader Rahul Gandhi, writing in The Hindu, argued that Home Minister Amit Shah either authorised the violence or was incompetent, and should resign. Gandhi noted that the government has ordered no inquiry, refused parliamentary debate, and deployed trolls to intimidate young women protesters and their families. The article drew parallels with colonial rule (1876 lowering of ICS exam age) and the Emergency (1976 detention of students under MISA), warning that suppressing youth grievances with force creates revolutions, not stability. It accused Prime Minister Modi of being out of touch, making a video “forgiving” the youth for exercising their right to protest, while the crackdown continues. Gandhi pledged that the opposition will hold the government accountable. ## Coverage - thehindu.com - thehindu.com Tags: civil liberties, examinations, NEET-UG, police action, student protests Canonical: https://indianopinion.org/the-hindu-urges-restraint-in-handling-student-protests/ License: Summary and commentary (c) Indian Opinion, reusable with attribution. Facts belong to the linked sources. Cite: https://indianopinion.org/the-hindu-urges-restraint-in-handling-student-protests/#story-in-brief Review state: restored archive article, accurate at time of publication, not offered to search indexes.