The Congress staged a protest in Dharamsala on Friday against alleged irregularities in the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET) and demanded the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. They accused the Central Government of failing to ensure a fair and transparent examination process.
Congress leaders and workers gathered in the city carrying placards and raised slogans against the Central Government. They accused the Central Government of compromising with the future of lakhs of students by allowing repeated examination irregularities and paper leaks.
The party leaders alleged that the NEET paper leak had shattered the confidence of the students and the parents across the country. They said that the credibility of the competitive examinations had come under serious question and demanded a thorough and impartial investigation into the alleged scam.
The Congress leaders also condemned the police action against students, who were protesting in New Delhi over the NEET controversy. They alleged that instead of listening to the concerns of the students, the Central Government resorted to force to suppress their democratic right to protest.
“The students were demanding justice and transparency. The use of force against peaceful protesters is unacceptable in a democracy,” they said.
The protesters demanded Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation for his alleged failure to uphold the integrity of the country’s examination system. They said that moral responsibility for the controversy rested with the Education Ministry. The Congress leaders urged the Central Government to ensure a transparent and accountable mechanism for conducting national-level entrance examinations so that students did not have to suffer because of administrative failures.
The demonstration concluded with the protesters submitting a memorandum to the district administration, addressed to the President of India, demanding strict action against those responsible for the alleged paper leak, protection of students’ interests and comprehensive reforms in the examination system to restore public confidence.