New Delhi: More than half of the overall respondents of the latest snap poll by CVoter were not satisfied with Modi government’s handling of the paper leaks issue, the polling agency said in a statement Sunday. This number was 40 percent among NDA voters.
The polling agency added that PM Narendra Modi Modi continues to command a 12-percentage point lead over Lok Sabha Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi when it comes to ‘most popular youth leader among Indians’. It went further to add that opinion remains sharply divided over CJP’s demand for withdrawal of all FIRs against protesters.
The survey findings and projections are based on CVoter Snap Poll CATI (Computer Assisted Telephone Interviewing) interviews conducted among 18+ adults nationwide (BARC-HSM) between 29 and 30 July. The sample spread of 1,349 respondents is spread across all districts covering all states, said CVoter. According to the polling agency, the data is weighted to the known demographic profile as per the census and final ECI results.
“Though still far behind (Modi), Rahul Gandhi is gaining as the most popular youth leader,” read the statement by CVoter, adding that “anti-incumbency among the youth is a serious issue” and that while a “majority of Indians want proper investigations into alleged police brutality; a majority also (wants) police action against those who indulged in violence and were offensively abusive”.
The statement went on to add, “Overall, the paper leak and the CJP protests have inflicted political damage to the NDA government. But they are not the main challenge. The real challenge is the frustration of the youth whose rising aspirations are hitting a roadblock of limited opportunities.”
Protests spearheaded by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) over his handling of the NEET-UG (2026) paper leak last week forced the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. The government also announced fast-track courts to deal with paper leak cases and steered an amendment to the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2024, through both houses of Parliament, which proposes harsher punishment for those found using or facilitating unfair means.
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58% NDA supporters want police brutality probed
According to the latest CVoter snap poll, 12 percent of respondents said they saw CJP being the voice of the youth and almost 50 percent said they would support the movement on other issues as well in the future.
As many as 31.7 percent of the respondents said stricter laws against paper leaks should have been the top priority for the government, followed by 27 percent who said it should have been Pradhan’s resignation, and 17 percent who said formation of an expert panel should have been top priority.
Were they satisfied with the discussion in Parliament on paper leaks? According to the polling agency, 35 percent of respondents were satisfied and 39 percent weren’t.
Opinion was sharply divided, however, on CJP’s demand for withdrawal of all FIRs against students who took part in demonstrations held across the country.
“On the face of it, a larger proportion of respondents (35.5 percent) want all FIRs to be withdrawn while less than one fourth say withdraw FIRs against only peaceful protestors. Significantly, more than one third of the respondents say investigative agencies should probe all FIRs first before arriving at a decision,” said CVoter.
However, 62.7 percent of respondents were of the opinion that allegations of police brutality during the protests must be investigated. “Interestingly, even almost 58 percent of those who support the NDA want a proper investigation,” the polling agency said.
At the same time, 54.2 percent of respondents want the police to act against protesters who used abusive language and uploaded objectionable content on social media. Among INDIA bloc supporters, 45 percent back police action in this regard.
For 27.6 percent of respondents, student anger over paper leaks was the trigger that earned the CJP its support. “Close to 50 percent of the respondents say they will support (CJP for other causes too) while less than 30 percent say they won’t. Almost 38 percent of NDA voters say they will support future CJP protests and movements,” CVoter said.
(Edited by Amrtansh Arora)
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