NEET Protest Turns Violent, 70 Detained

New Delhi: Delhi Police detained 70 people after a protest against alleged irregularities in the medical entrance exams paper leak turned violent at Jantar Mantar on Thursday.At the protest organised by Indian Youth Congress, its president, Srinivas BV said that 47 people were injured, including women. Three of them received serious injuries. He also posted the video of the incident, writing in Hindi, "See these horrifying pictures of the lathi charge. Delhi Police should remember it doesn’t take long for times to change and govts to change."According to police, around 1,500 people were protesting without permission. "We requested them to stop when they started moving from the designated area towards Parliament. They refused and breached the first barricade," an officer said. The protestors were again asked to stop, but instead began pushing a water tanker trailer to break down the barriers.Devesh Kumar Mahla, DCP (New Delhi), alleged the protestors were carrying knives. “They used the water tanker not only to break the barricade, but also to mow down police personnel. They were told not to use the illegal knives, but they didn't listen,” said Mahla. "The protestors also threw water glasses, bottles and stones at police. Finally, police had to disperse them. Four or five cops were injured. We will also take legal action."One of the protesters, who had been preparing for NEET for two years, expressed his dismay on learning about the paper leak. "Not only my career but also those of other youths are on the line. There should be a re-examination, and we need a proper investigation into the matter," he said.At Okhla, members of the National Students' Union of India, the Congress students’ wing, barged into the National Testing Agency. Protesters tried to put a lock on the NTA office as well. They raised slogans demanding the immediate banning of NTA. NSUI national president Varun Choudhary said, “This protest is to show the authorities how angry and frustrated the students are. Their future is in jeopardy because of NTA’s malpractices.”The frequent postponements and paper leaks weren’t just administrative failures, but a direct attack on the future of India’s youth, Choudhary added. NSUI members also questioned the lack of action by education minister Dharmendra Pradhan. "Why is the education minister not acting against NTA? He has to answer to the students,” Choudhary insisted, stressing on the need for accountability and urgent intervention of the Centre.
Stay updated with the latest news on Times of India. Don't miss daily games like Crossword, Sudoku, Location Guesser and Mini Crossword.