NEET Protests: Youth Cong Members Ride On Donkeys, Shave Heads; FIR Filed

New Delhi: On a day when the row over NEET paper leak hit Parliament, student outfits of some INDIA bloc parties intensified their ongoing protests.

They raised slogans against the BJP-led Centre and National Testing Agency (NTA) at Jantar Mantar for alleged irregularities in several competitive exams.

In a separate protest, members of Indian Youth Congress (IYC) marched towards Parliament on donkeys in a symbolic protest, demanding accountability.

Some of the workers shaved their heads while raising anti-Modi slogans, calling for the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.

“In the coming years, BJP will destroy the youths of our country,” a IYC activist said.

Members of the Left-backed All India Students Association (AISA), Student Federation of India (SFI), All India Students’ Federation (AISF), along with the Samajwadi Chhatra Sabha and Congress’ students wing NSUI assembled at Jantar Mantar to march to Parliament and press their demand of scrapping NTA and a fresh NEET-UG exam.

Due to heavy police deployment, the students could not reach their destination.

Police registered an FIR against students under the new criminal laws for staging protest at the Jantar Mantar.

It’s been eight days since students and youth bodies have been protesting against NEET-UG exam irregularities and NTA.

‘Now, roofs fall, papers leak’

The Opposition parties demonstrated on the floor of Rajya Sabha, forcing Prime Minister Narendra Modi to address the issue.

Trinamool Congress (TMC) Rajya Sabha MP Jawhar Sircar ridiculed the BJP over the NEET issue.

“You (the BJP-led Centre) are giving the highest priority to infrastructure. .by giving Rs 10 lakh crore or Rs 11 lakh crore to infrastructure. But what is happening… previously when the rain fell, the roofs leaked, now the roofs fall and papers leak,” Sircar said in Rajya Sabha on Wednesday.

Supporters of DMK (Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam) students’ wing staged a protest against the NEET irregularities in Chennai’s Valluvar Kottam.

Tamizhaga Vetri Kazhagam (TVK) founder and prominent Tamil actor Vijay spoke out on the NEET row, backing Tamil Nadu Assembly’s resolution against the centrally-controlled entrance. “There cannot be ‘one nation, one curriculum.’ Curriculum should be state-specific… Diversity is a strength, not a weakness,” Vijay said after an event.