Akhilesh Yadav, chief of the Samajwadi Party, condemned the Delhi police for cracking down on Cockroach Janata Party protesters on Monday [1].
The incident highlights growing tensions between student activists and the central government over alleged systemic failures in national examinations. The crackdown occurred during the ‘Chalo Sansad’ march, where protesters demanded the resignation of Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan following a leak of the NEET examination paper [1, 2].
Protesters had gathered at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi before attempting to move toward Parliament [2, 3]. The Delhi Police responded by invoking prohibitory orders under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) [1]. Reports indicated that water cannons were spotted at Jantar Mantar, suggesting preparations for a forceful dispersal of the crowd [3].
Yadav said the government's response to the youth's grievances is unacceptable. He said that the anger is visible and that the call for revolution is rising [4]. The Samajwadi Party leader linked the police action to a broader pattern of suppressing dissent regarding the NEET scandal.
Other opposition figures also weighed in on the crackdown. Rahul Gandhi said the current administration's leader is the "most anti-youth PM" [5]. The criticisms center on the government's refusal to hold high-ranking officials accountable for the examination leaks that affected thousands of students.
The Cockroach Janata Party has maintained that the leak of the NEET paper constitutes a betrayal of the student community [1]. They said that only the resignation of the education minister can provide the necessary accountability for the breach [1, 2].
“"Most anti-youth PM"”
This escalation signals a broadening of the NEET paper leak controversy from a purely academic grievance to a political flashpoint. By aligning with the Cockroach Janata Party, established opposition leaders like Akhilesh Yadav and Rahul Gandhi are leveraging student frustration to challenge the central government's stability and its relationship with the youth electorate.
