Online Desk
Public support for the ongoing student protests in India's capital, New Delhi, has continued to grow as demonstrators demand the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over the alleged NEET examination paper leak.
Backing the protesters, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said that 154 examination paper leaks had occurred over the past decade, yet not a single person had been convicted. He called for the education minister's resignation, an apology from the prime minister, and accountability for the alleged mistreatment of students.
Despite persistent rain, thousands of students continued their sit-in protest at Jantar Mantar on Wednesday. Protesters alleged that police had cut electricity and obstructed the supply of food and drinking water. In response, members of the public from across the country voluntarily sent food, water, and other essential supplies. The level of support became so overwhelming that protest leaders appealed on social media for people to stop sending additional food.
The movement has also spread beyond the capital. Police detained more than 100 people during a solidarity rally in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, while demonstrations were also held in Bengaluru and several other cities.
The protests have disrupted parliamentary proceedings for a third consecutive day. Both houses of Parliament remained deadlocked as opposition parties continued to demand the resignation of the education minister, preventing any debate on the examination paper leak issue.
The government offered a second round of talks through Health Minister J.P. Nadda and Minister Jitendra Singh, but student leaders rejected the proposal. They insisted that if the government was genuinely interested in dialogue, ministers should meet them at Jantar Mantar or at a mutually agreed neutral venue. Protest leaders also warned that the movement would expand further if their demands were not met.
Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi, along with other opposition lawmakers, staged a demonstration inside the Parliament complex wearing black attire. However, the government maintained that while it was willing to discuss the issue, it would not consider the demand for Dharmendra Pradhan's resignation.
Meanwhile, several leaders of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) alleged that foreign elements were attempting to exploit the protests for political purposes. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh claimed that certain groups were using students to advance political interests.
Separately, the Delhi High Court directed police to preserve all CCTV footage and related records connected to the protests. The court observed that allegations of police excesses could not be dismissed as mere propaganda and said the reported incidents had "shaken the nation's conscience."
News Published By:
Bangladesh Diary
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