BJP ministers flood Instagram after Modi's call for youth outreach

Prime Minister Narendra Modi's call for a digital push has turned Instagram into a primary channel for the BJP's political messaging, with a wave of Union ministers and party leaders posting videos on the platform in recent days.

The coordinated activity follows student-led protests over the NEET-UG paper leak, which amplified the role of social media in shaping political discourse among young Indians. Modi himself posted a series of selfie-style videos, thanking youngsters for their responses on exam reforms. He gained roughly one million followers after uploading a midnight selfie during the protests, bringing his total to about 105 million, according to his Instagram profile.

The BJP's official account, which has 9.5 million followers, has been posting reels that focus on examination paper leaks, highlighting alleged cases in Punjab. Other posts feature clips from Parliament on the introduction of The Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Bill, accusing the Opposition of disrupting debate on the legislation.

Newly appointed Union Education Minister Pralhad Joshi used Instagram to outline the government's response. "We implemented the strict Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2024, which guarantees 10 years of imprisonment and heavy fines for the exam mafia," Joshi said in a post. He added that the government is "completely ready for a healthy, facts-based debate in Parliament."

Former BJP president J P Nadda shared videos of his meetings with representatives from the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), the online satirical movement that led the protests. The CJP's Instagram account has drawn over 26 million followers since May.

Union Minister of State for PMO Jitendra Singh posted clips on the introduction of the Bill to amend the anti-paper leak law, along with appeals for students to remain patient. Singh has posted multiple times every day for the past week, up from an average of four to five posts a week earlier. Nadda's activity has also surged; before the prime minister's call, his last post was on July 4.

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju has uploaded several videos centered on the Bill, calling the paper leaks a "serious national issue" rather than a matter of party politics. His daily posts have risen to over a dozen. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman posted a video highlighting the government's commitment to fast-track courts for those responsible. Piyush Goyal urged the Opposition to participate in parliamentary discussions instead of politicizing the issue.

Women and Child Development Minister Annpurna Devi focused on alleged paper leaks in Jharkhand, using the slogan "Hemant Istifa Do" in her posts. In one video, she claimed the voices of Jharkhand's students were "not reaching Rahul Gandhi's ears."

BJP IT department head Amit Malviya has been among the party's most active voices. Referring to videos from the protest, he claimed they showed slogans calling for the restoration of Article 370 and demands for "Azad Kashmir." "If these videos accurately reflect what transpired, then the movement had clearly strayed far away from the legitimate concerns of students," Malviya said. He also questioned what he called "different standards for different states," asking why there was "outrage over UP but complete silence on Punjab."

Modi on Sunday announced a high-powered task force, headed by Infosys co-founder Nandan Nilekani, to recommend reforms for a leakproof exam system. The government introduced a Bill in the Lok Sabha on Monday to amend the anti-paper leaks law with stricter punishment of up to 10 years in jail and a ₹50 lakh fine.