Kishtwar: The District Congress Committee (DCC) Kishtwar on Monday staged a strong protest against the alleged NEET paper leak, demanding the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, holding him morally responsible for what the party termed as a major failure in safeguarding the integrity of the country’s premier medical entrance examination.
Led by senior district leaders and party workers, Congress activists assembled in Kishtwar town and attempted to march towards the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) office to register their protest. However, a heavy deployment of police personnel intercepted the demonstrators near the Tourist Reception Centre (TRC), approximately 50 metres before the BJP office complex.
The protesters raised slogans against the Central Government and accused it of failing to ensure transparency and fairness in the conduct of competitive examinations. They alleged that repeated paper leak incidents have shattered the confidence of students and their families, while demanding strict action against those responsible.
The Congress leaders reiterated their demand for the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, asserting that he should accept moral responsibility for the alleged irregularities in the NEET examination process. They further called for a thorough and impartial investigation to identify the culprits and ensure that such incidents do not recur.
Despite repeated attempts by the protesters to proceed towards the BJP office, police personnel prevented them from advancing further, resulting in a brief standoff. The situation, however, remained peaceful, and no untoward incident was reported during the protest.
The demonstration concluded with Congress leaders reaffirming their commitment to continue raising the issue until accountability is fixed and justice is ensured for lakhs of students affected by the alleged examination irregularities.
