For a second day student protesters and Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) activists gathered at Jantar Mantar in central Delhi to protest against India’s education system in general and the NEET question paper leak in particular.
The protesters, led by the CJP, are demanding that the Centre take accountability for the NEET paper leak and the immediate resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. They also want compensation for families of NEET aspirants who died by suicide after the leak.
On Monday there was violence at the protest site in Jantar Mantar with students lathi-charged and tear-gassed; many were injured in the clashes, including Delhi Police personnel.
Also on Monday, for the first time, there were talks between CJP representatives and the government. CJP spokespersons called on Union minister J. P. Nadda and presented to him a memorandum listing out their demands.
Read the latest updates on ThePrint.
CJP protest | Congress leaders meet protesters
2.45 pm: Rahul, Priyanka, Venugopal meet injured students
Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and K. C. Venugopal met student protesters who were injured in a police crackdown in the national capital, with the Congress demanding an apology from Prime Minister Narendra Modi for what it called “brutality” against the country’s youth.
In a post on X, Congress said, “The future of students in the country is being trampled, and lathis are being rained down on those who raise their voices, for which Narendra Modi should apologise.”
The visit to the hospital comes after Rahul Gandhi spoke to reporters in the Parliament House complex where he said, “The issue is about students, about the future of the youth. And what is being done—people being beaten and thrashed—this is completely un-Indian. Modi ji has not even apologised for what happened yesterday.”
The comments from the Congress add to a broader wave of Opposition criticism, with leaders including Pawan Khera, Shashi Tharoor, Sanjay Raut, Bhupesh Baghel and Arvind Kejriwal also having spoken out against the police action over the past two days.
CJP protest | Wangchuk shifted to Medanta
1.00 pm: Delhi HC allows activist to be moved to private hospital
The Delhi High Court Tuesday allowed activist Sonam Wangchuk, who is on hunger strike in solidarity with the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) protest, to be shifted to a hospital of his choice.
A bench of Chief Justice D. K. Upadhyaya and Justice Tejas Karia allowed this after hearing a plea by the activist’s wife, Gitanjali Angmo, against a Sunday order of the high court refusing to interfere with his ongoing treatment a central government hospital.
Representing the Centre, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta said the government had no objection to Wangchuk being shifted to Medanta Hospital.