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NEW DELHI : The spiralling agitation over the NEET issue saw protests and counter-protests by Congress and BJP across the country on Wednesday, with clashes and tense face-offs at many places, a day after Rahul Gandhi and other opposition leaders were forcibly removed from a dharna outside the prime minister’s residence. While Congress leaders and workers were angry over the police “high-handedness” and “ill-treatment” of party leaders, who were detained and later released on Tuesday night, the BJP protested against what it said was “unruly and anarchist behaviour” of Gandhi and opposition leaders. Backing the protesting students, Gandhi on Wednesday demanded Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation over examination irregularities, an apology from Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the violence on Monday, action against those involved in assaulting students and education reforms. Leaders and workers of both parties, led by their state chiefs at many places, tried to march to each other’s offices but were stopped by police, which detained many of them. In Telangana capital Hyderabad, two persons, including a woman police constable, were injured following violent clashes between the cadres of the BJP and ruling Congress near the saffron party’s state headquarters. The confrontation began when the police intercepted a group of Congress workers and party MLC Venkat Balmoor as they marched towards the BJP office in response to an attempt by some saffron party leaders and members to march towards the state Congress office. In Vijayawada, Andhra Pradesh, Congress and BJP workers clashed as they came face to face during their protests, triggering tension. Both parties accused each other of violence and provocation. Workers of the BJP and the Congress came to blows in Patna when cadres of the ruling party took out a procession, accusing the opposition of unleashing “anarchy”. The BJP march, led by state president Sanjay Saraogi, proceeded to the gates of the Bihar Pradesh Congress Committee (BPCC) headquarters at Sadaqat Ashram, with party workers carrying posters and banners against Gandhi. Police intervened after Congress workers armed with bamboo sticks confronted the BJP procession, leading to a clash. Several persons from both sides were seen bleeding profusely. However, there was no official word on the number of persons who were injured. The BJP and Congress battled on the streets as students and other parties held protests at many places on Wednesday in solidarity with the Cockroach Janta Party’s stir, including in Patna which witnessed a pitched battle between hundreds of student activists and the police near the state assembly. Members of both Houses of the legislature, who were attending the Monsoon session, were locked inside as the administration ordered sealing of the assembly premises after a swarm of protesters, most of them owing allegiance to AISA, the student wing of CPI(ML) Liberation, entered the restricted zone. BJP and Congress workers also came face-to-face at Shaheedi Chowk in Jammu near J-K Congress’ headquarters, prompting massive police deployment and barricading. A confrontation between the two parties was seen during a protest outside the residence of MP from Jalna (Madhya Pradesh) and Congress leader Kalyan Kale. On receiving information about the BJP protest, Congress workers rushed to the MP’s office and staged a counter-protest. Activists from both parties exchanged slogans, leading to a tense atmosphere for some time, police said. Delhi Congress president Devender Yadav and several party leaders were detained during their protest in the national capital. In Maharashtra, Congress leaders led by state president Harshwardhan Sapkal were detained, forcibly evicted and bundled into police vans during a march towards the Maharashtra BJP office in Mumbai. Sapkal alleged that the Narendra Modi government had undermined democratic values and failed to address recurring examination irregularities, including NEET paper leak. Sapkal alleged that the treatment meted out to Rahul Gandhi, Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and other party leaders during the protest amounted to an insult not only to the Leader of Opposition but to students across the country. He demanded that PM Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah apologise over the incident. Mumbai BJP president and MLA Ameet Satam, who led the party’s march in south Mumbai, demanded that Rahul Gandhi make his passport details public, alleging the opposition leader had met “enemies” of India during his foreign visits and was determined to create chaos in the country. In Bengaluru, the Congress workers staged a protest outside the BJP state office. The Karnataka BJP took out a counter-protest march towards the Congress office against the ruling party’s demonstration near the BJP headquarters at Malleshwaram in the city. The Shiv Sena (UBT) held protests in different parts of Mumbai, including outside its headquarters, to press for its demand for Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation over examination irregularities. This was the third consecutive day of protests by the Uddhav Thackeray-led Opposition outfit, which has announced open support to the CJP. A large number of BJP leaders and workers, led by Rajasthan unit president Madan Rathore, took out a march to the Congress office in Jaipur. Rathore said Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s dharna was unacceptable and said it was a childish act. BJP leaders and workers, including Manipur Chief Minister Y Khemchand Singh, staged a sit-in protest in Imphal against Rahul Gandhi, accusing him of politicising a students’ issue. The protesters gathered outside the BJP state office holding banners that read, “Stop sponsored anarchy, stop manufactured chaos”, and accused the Congress of creating disorder. The Uttar Pradesh units of BJP and Congress also held separate protests in Lucknow over the dharna by opposition leaders outside the prime minister’s residence. The BJP marched to gherao the Congress office in Mall Avenue. The Congress, too, set out on a march to gherao the CM’s residence, claiming ill-treatment of Rahul Gandhi and other Congress leaders. Due to heavy deployment of the police force, neither the BJP could reach the Congress office nor could the Congress reach the CM’s residence at 5, Kalidas Marg. (Source: PTI)      

NEW DELHI : Activist Sonam Wangchuk on Wednesday said he would end his indefinite hunger strike if the Centre gives an unequivocal assurance that no punitive or retaliatory action would be taken against students and youth who participated in the protest against alleged examination irregularities. He also said that Union ministers J P Nadda and Jitendra Singh had already assured him that the government would positively consider his two other key demands. In a letter addressed to the two ministers, Wangchuk said that Nadda and Singh, who visited him at the Medanta Hospital on Tuesday night, assured him that the government would positively consider providing adequate compensation to the families of students who died by suicide following the NEET paper ‘leak’, and holding a meaningful discussion in Parliament to ensure accountability for exam ‘irregularities’, including considering the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. “Therefore, I respectfully request an unequivocal assurance from the government that none of the young protesters will face any punitive or retaliatory legal action for participating in this movement. Their only ‘offence’ has been to raise their voice for a fair and accountable education system,” Wangchuk wrote. “If such an assurance is given, I shall end my fast with faith that the government has heard not only my appeal but also the aspirations of lakhs of young Indians. In the absence of such an assurance, I will be forced to continue my fast indefinitely,” he wrote. Sharing the letter on X, Wangchuk said, “An appeal to the government regarding breaking my fast… Once the assurance from the government comes, I will also appeal to the peacefully protesting students to halt the movement for now and enter into dialogue with the government.” Referring to the July 20 ‘Chalo Sansad’ march, Wangchuk said it “remained very peaceful despite the atrocities and disproportionate use of force by the police”. “The entire nation and the world witnessed their patience and commitment to democratic protest. I sincerely hope that this faith in democratic institutions is not further undermined by any legal cases, harassment or vindictive action against those who participated,” he said. Around 65 MPs from different political parties had written to him, while several met him personally and urged him to end his fast, Wangchuk said. “They have all urged me to end my fast, reminding me that I still have much work to do in the service of our nation. I agree with them. I want to live. “I want to return to my students, to education, and to the work that has defined my life. But I cannot do so at the cost of the very young people for whom this movement began,” he said. “The future of our democracy depends not on how it treats those who agree with it, but on how it treats its young citizens when they dare to speak with courage, hope and conviction,” he added. Earlier on Wednesday, a delegation of opposition MPs, including Congress’ Vivek Tankha, CPI(M)’s John Brittas and TMC’s Sagarika Ghose, met Wangchuk at the Medanta Hospital and appealed to him to end his fast. In a letter signed by the MPs from several opposition parties, they assured him that the issues of examination reforms and accountability in the education sector would be taken up in Parliament. “The nation, especially its youth, needs your wisdom and guidance far more than your sacrifice… Just as the Union Territory of Ladakh needs Sonam Wangchuk, India needs you too, not in suffering, but in service,” the MPs told him, while also assuring that they would press the government against any coercive action against the peaceful protesters. Wangchuk has been on an indefinite hunger strike since June 28 after joining the Cockroach Janta Party-led agitation demanding accountability over alleged irregularities in competitive examinations, reforms in the education system and the resignation of Pradhan. He is currently admitted to the Medanta Hospital after being shifted from the Safdarjung Hospital following a Delhi High Court order. (Source: PTI)    

NEW DELHI : The government on Wednesday told the Lok Sabha that it is willing to hold a discussion on the NEET paper leak issue, and urged Speaker Om Birla to convene a meeting of all parties to decide on the rule, date and duration of the debate. As soon as the House reassembled at noon after an earlier adjournment, Birla asked Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju to make a statement but Congress leader K C Venugopal intervened to assert that the Opposition is also seeking the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. Rijju said the government is willing to hold a discussion on NEET paper leak issue but the Speaker will have to meet floor leaders of all parties to decide on the rule under which the discussion will be held, its date and duration. Amid Opposition sloganeering, the House was adjourned till 2 pm. The opposition has been demanding a discussion on the NEET paper leak issue and is also seeking the resignation of Pradhan over the handling of the controversy over the alleged examination irregularities. (Source: PTI)  

NEW DELHI : In the first direct contact between the Centre and agitating CJP, Union Health Minister JP Nadda on Monday held talks with two representatives of the outfit and assured that the government leadership will hold internal discussions on their demands, after thousands of protesters tried to march to Parliament but were prevented by police. According to the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), the assurance came after its spokespersons Ashutosh Ranka and Saurav Das met Nadda, who acted as a government emissary, twice within two hours at the minister’s residence and submitted a memorandum citing their demands, including the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over alleged examination irregularities. “The only assurance we got is that he will talk to the leadership and share the conclusions,” Ranka told PTI Videos. The first dialogue between the government and youth-led CJP came on a day when police cracked down on the protesters by using tear gas and baton charge to prevent them from marching towards Parliament. In a statement, Nadda said discussions with the protesters had been underway since 11.50 am after they proposed talks with the government earlier in the day. “The meeting took place in a cordial atmosphere. An initial verbal discussion was held in detail with their delegation, and they submitted a written petition to me around 4 PM,” he said. The minister said he had requested all the protesters to end their sit-in and assist the administration in restoring normalcy. “The minister assured us he will discuss this at the appropriate level. However, no commitments have been made so far. The peaceful protesters will not rest until the demand is met,” Das said in a post on X after the meeting. Official sources said talks within the government on the CJP protest were underway. A beleaguered Education Minister Pradhan met Union Home Minister Amit Shah at the latter’s office in the Parliament House in the afternoon. However, it was not immediately known what transpired in the meeting. Das said Nadda had also assured the delegation that there would be no further crackdown at Jantar Mantar and nearby areas, though he said there were no reports of police action stopping. Ranka told PTI Videos that the delegation met Nadda twice after reaching his residence around noon. “We have three demands — Sonam Wangchuk ji should be released immediately. He wants to share a video message and should be allowed to do that. “Dharmendra Pradhan… should be immediately sacked, and Rs 1 crore compensation should be given to the families of those who committed suicide after the NEET paper leak,” he said. The CJP said they also demanded an end to police action against “peaceful protesters”. In the memorandum submitted to Nadda, the CJP alleged repeated failures in the conduct of public examinations, including the NEET 2026 paper leak, CBSE Class XII portal issues and delays in CUET, and said its core demand since the start of the agitation had been the removal of Pradhan as education minister. It also sought Wangchuk’s release without restrictions on his movement and urged the government to direct Delhi Police to stop using force against peaceful protesters. Ranka said it was only late Sunday night that the Deputy Commissioner of Police, New Delhi, reached out for opening a communication channel with the government. He said there were more serious discussions only from 6 am on Monday, and only at around 11:45 am, there was “an alignment on meeting Nadda ji”. “We finally met Nadda ji 10 mins ago and he is checking with the leadership internally wrt our demands. @DelhiPolice  should immediately stop using brute force on peaceful protestors,” Ranka wrote on ‘X’ at 2:48 PM The CJP has been spearheading protests over alleged examination irregularities since June. Activist Sonam Wangchuk, who joined the agitation on June 28 and has been on a hunger strike, remains admitted to Safdarjung Hospital after being shifted there by Delhi Police on July 18 following a deterioration in his health. Protesters participating in the CJP’s Parliament march on Monday refused to disperse despite heavy police barricading, lathicharge and use of tear gas, and raised slogans demanding the resignation of Pradhan. The march, which witnessed participation of students and people from across Delhi, was stopped near Parliament Street, where police had put up multiple layers of barricades. Many protesters said they had anticipated resistance but were determined to continue their demonstration. (Source: PTI)      

NEW DELHI : Activist Sonam Wangchuk on Saturday described the proposed July 20 Parliament march as India’s “second freedom movement”, calling for “freedom from fear” and “freedom from injustice” while urging supporters to make the mobilisation a “big success”. In a handwritten message shared from Safdarjung Hospital through his wife Gitanjali J Angmo, Wangchuk linked “freedom from injustice” to alleged paper leaks and “freedom from fear” to what he described as his “illegal detention”. The note, shared on X through Wangchuk’s account, read: “20th July. India’s second freedom movement. Freedom from injustice (like paper leaks). Freedom from fear (my illegal detention).” It further said, “March to the Parliament. Please make it a big success.” The note was signed off with the words, “Sent through Gitanjali from my illegal detention at Safdarjung.” The reference to “illegal detention” appears to reiterate Wangchuk’s allegation that he is being kept at Safdarjung Hospital against his wishes after being forcibly taken away from the Jantar Mantar protest site. The Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) has called for the July 20 Parliament march, demanding accountability over alleged irregularities in competitive examinations, reforms in the examination system and the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. Wangchuk, who joined the CJP agitation on June 28, was forcefully shifted to Safdarjung Hospital after his prolonged hunger strike at Jantar Mantar. (Source: PTI)        

NEW DELHI : The Monsoon Session of Parliament beginning on Monday is set to witness the Centre and the Opposition locking horns on several issues. The session, scheduled to stretch till August 13, will also mark the parliamentary debut of the Nationalist Citizens Party of India (NCPI), formed by 20 rebel Trinamool Congress (TMC) MPs who merged their faction and aligned with the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to address the media at Hans Dwar, Parliament House, ahead of the commencement of the Monsoon Session on Monday. Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla today chaired a Business Advisory Committee meeting of the lower house of Parliament. Representatives of all political parties discussed the legislative agenda and key public issues. The Speaker called for constructive debates, meaningful participation, and full cooperation to ensure a productive and dignified Session. Earlier today, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh chaired an all-party meeting in the Parliament House Complex, New Delhi to discuss issues relating to the ensuing Monsoon Session of Parliament. In total, the meeting was attended by 58 Leaders from 40 political parties, including Ministers. Union Minister of Parliamentary Affairs and Minority Affairs Kiren Rijiju stated that Legislative Business for the ensuing Monsoon Session has already been published in Bulletin Part-II by both the Secretariats of Parliament on July 16. The Session will provide a total of 19 sittings spread over a period of 25 days. Opposition parties staged a symbolic walkout from the all-party meeting convened by the Centre, protesting Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju’s invitation to the National Citizens Party of India (NCPI) to participate in the meeting. They later returned to take part in the discussions after a few minutes. This came as the Lok Sabha Speaker has allowed separate seating for the 20 rebel TMC MPs who announced a merger with the NCPI. Kiren Rijiju said that the walkout staged by the opposition leaders should not be seen as a boycott, as it was symbolic in nature. “It should not be viewed as a boycott of the entire day’s proceedings; it was symbolic,” he told reporters after the meeting.