The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has significantly stepped up its presence on Instagram as it seeks to strengthen its outreach to young voters in the aftermath of the NEET-UG paper leak controversy. The renewed digital push comes after Prime Minister Narendra Modi reportedly urged Union ministers and senior party leaders to engage more actively with the youth through Instagram Reels with an aim to make the platform a central pillar of the party's communication strategy.
The move reflects the BJP's attempt to connect directly with students and first-time voters at a time when social media has become a powerful tool for shaping public opinion. Over the past week, several senior ministers who were previously less active on Instagram have dramatically increased the frequency of their posts, largely focusing on examination reforms, the anti-paper leak legislation and the government's response to the nationwide protests.
Instagram becomes BJP's preferred platform for youth outreach
The party's intensified social media campaign follows widespread student protests over the alleged NEET-UG paper leak, a movement that gained enormous traction online. Instagram, in particular, emerged as one of the biggest platforms for mobilisation and political messaging during the protests. The Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), which spearheaded the demonstrations, itself originated as an online satirical movement in May this year and has since amassed more than 26 million followers on Instagram. Against this backdrop, the BJP has shifted significant attention towards Instagram in an effort to communicate its position directly to young audiences.
PM Modi leads the campaign with selfie-style videos
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has personally led the digital outreach by posting a series of selfie-style videos over the past few days. In these clips, he thanked young Indians for sharing their suggestions on examination reforms and reiterated the government's commitment to creating a fair and transparent examination system. PM Modi, who has maintained an Instagram presence since 2014, reportedly gained nearly one million new followers after uploading a midnight selfie video during the peak of the protests. His Instagram following has now crossed approximately 105 million.
Meanwhile, the BJP's official Instagram handle, which has around 9.5 million followers, has also witnessed heightened activity. The account has been posting multiple reels highlighting alleged examination paper leak cases, particularly those reported from Punjab, while also showcasing parliamentary proceedings related to the proposed anti-paper leak legislation.
Ministers increase posting frequency after PM's message
One of the most noticeable changes has been the sharp increase in posting activity by several Union ministers. Union Education Minister Pralhad Joshi has used Instagram extensively to defend the government's response to the NEET controversy and explain the objectives of the anti-paper leak legislation. "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," she said.
"We want to permanently strengthen the system and are completely ready for a healthy, facts-based debate in Parliament. Even Akhilesh Yadav and several Congress MPs have said this issue should be discussed in Parliament. Unfortunately, due to the ego of one individual, that debate is not taking place," the minister added. Joshi also appealed to political parties to rise above partisan differences and participate in discussions aimed at strengthening India's examination system.
Union Minister JP Nadda has similarly become more active on Instagram, posting multiple videos highlighting his meetings with representatives of the Cockroach Janta Party regarding the NEET issue. His increased activity marks a sharp contrast to earlier months, when his posts were relatively infrequent.
Minister of State in the Prime Minister's Office Jitendra Singh has also stepped up his digital campaign. His Instagram feed now regularly features videos explaining the proposed amendments to the anti-paper leak law, appeals to students to remain patient and updates on the government's engagement with protesters. According to the latest trend, Jitendra Singh has been making several posts every day over the past week compared to just four or five posts a week earlier.
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju has also intensified his campaign, uploading numerous videos centred on examination reforms and parliamentary debates. His recent posts describe the proposed legislation as a "historic" and "uncompromising" effort to secure students' future while urging political parties to support the Bill.
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has used the platform to reiterate the government's commitment to delivering justice to students affected by paper leaks and ensuring prompt punishment for those responsible through fast-track courts.
Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal has similarly highlighted the government's measures to tackle examination malpractices while urging the Opposition to support the legislation instead of politicising the issue.
Women and Child Development Minister Annpurna Devi has focused her campaign largely on alleged examination and recruitment irregularities in Jharkhand. Several of her recent posts carry the slogan "Hemant Istifa Do", accompanied by allegations regarding recruitment scams and demands for a CBI investigation.
BJP counters Opposition narrative on social media
Apart from promoting the government's legislative response, BJP leaders have also used Instagram to counter allegations raised during the protests. BJP IT Department head Amit Malviya has remained one of the party's most vocal digital campaigners. Referring to videos purportedly recorded during the demonstrations, he claimed they contained slogans demanding the restoration of Article 370, calls for "Azad Kashmir", abusive remarks against Hindu deities, objectionable references to women and demands for the release of those accused in the Delhi riots.
"If these videos accurately reflect what transpired, then the movement had clearly strayed far away from the legitimate concerns of students," he said. Malviya also questioned what he described as selective outrage over examination paper leaks, asking why criticism was directed at Uttar Pradesh while alleged cases in Punjab and Karnataka received comparatively little attention.
He further claimed that the highest number of reported paper leak and examination malpractice cases during the 2025-26 academic session had emerged from states governed by the INDIA bloc, including Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Jharkhand, Telangana, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Punjab, Kerala and Karnataka.
Government pushes tougher anti-paper leak law
The BJP's digital campaign has coincided with the Centre's legislative push to tighten laws against examination malpractices. On Monday, the government introduced the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Amendment Bill, 2026 in the Lok Sabha. The proposed amendments seek to prescribe stricter punishment of up to 10 years' imprisonment and a fine of up to Rs 50 lakh for those involved in paper leaks and organised examination fraud. The Bill was introduced by Minister of State Jitendra Singh amid Opposition protests demanding a response from the government over the alleged police action against students during the July 20 CJP-led march to Parliament.
High-powered panel to recommend long-term reforms
Alongside the legislative initiative, Prime Minister Modi has announced the formation of a high-powered task force headed by Infosys co-founder Nandan Nilekani. The committee has been tasked with recommending comprehensive reforms aimed at making India's public examination system leak-proof, signalling the government's intention to pursue both immediate legal action and long-term structural changes.
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