NEW DELHI, July 23 (V7N) — Protests over alleged irregularities and question paper leaks in India’s National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) have intensified, spreading across several states. On Wednesday (July 22), large demonstrations were reported in major cities including Delhi, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Patna, Surat and Lucknow.

Opposition parties and the Corruption-Free Janata Party (CJP) have launched strong street protests, demanding accountability from the government. Meanwhile, the central government has attempted to ease tensions by holding discussions with opposition leaders. Political analysts say the situation remains unsettled, leaving Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government under increasing pressure.

On Tuesday (July 21), police detained Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav while they were staging a sit-in protest outside the Prime Minister’s residence. The leaders demanded the resignation of Prime Minister Modi and Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over the NEET controversy and strongly condemned police action against protesting students.

Following the incident, political tensions escalated, and demonstrations spread beyond the capital to different parts of the country.

Union Minister Jitendra Singh met opposition representatives as part of the government’s effort to address concerns and find a solution. However, protests continued in several states.

Security was tightened across Delhi, with around 16 metro stations temporarily closed to control the situation. In Maharashtra, prominent Maratha activist Manoj Jarange Patil met with CJP leaders and expressed his full support for the movement. Protesters in Patna, Bengaluru, Hyderabad and Surat also took to the streets, raising slogans against the central government.

In Uttar Pradesh’s Lucknow, political tensions intensified as the BJP and Congress organised rival protest marches. Led by state Congress president Ajay Rai, party workers attempted to march towards Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath’s residence to protest alleged mistreatment of Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra in Delhi.

After police blocked their route, Congress workers staged a sit-in protest, and several leaders, including Ajay Rai, were detained. BJP workers later organised a counter-protest, with state BJP president Pankaj Chaudhary accusing Congress of engaging in activities against national interests.

The controversy has also moved to the courts. The Delhi High Court has issued notices to the central government and Delhi Police over three public interest litigations alleging excessive use of force during CJP’s protest on July 20. A division bench headed by the acting Chief Justice directed authorities to preserve all CCTV footage, body-camera recordings and other electronic evidence related to the police action.

The court observed that although the gathering may have been considered unlawful, police authorities were required to follow legal procedures before using force. The next hearing in the case has been scheduled for September 11.

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