Congress To Protest Nationwide Over NEET Paper Leak, Demands Resignations Of Ministers

The student movement against the NEET paper leak in Delhi has emerged as a significant catalyst for the opposition, providing a fresh impetus to their political strategy. Following intense demonstrations and protests, the Congress party has formulated a comprehensive plan for today to keep the pressure on the central government, while congress leaders and Members of Parliament are set to wear black armbands as a mark of protest across the country. The opposition is determined to capitalize on this issue from the streets to the Parliament, persistently demanding the resignations of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and Union Home Minister Amit Shah. This issue is expected to remain a dominant theme throughout the ongoing Monsoon Session.

Strategic Meeting at Mallikarjun Kharge's Residence

A crucial meeting is scheduled to take place at 10 AM today at the chamber of Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge. This meeting will involve leaders from the INDIA block to coordinate their strategy regarding the student-led protests, while the Congress party has issued clear instructions to all its state units to organize protests across the nation. The movement is gaining momentum as the opposition seeks to highlight the grievances of students affected by the paper leak, while the Congress party's approach involves a multi-faceted protest strategy to ensure their voice is heard at every level of governance. Yesterday, several state units of the Congress had already initiated protests regarding this matter.

Protest Methods and Recent Detentions

The Congress party is planning unique methods of protest to draw attention to the NEET paper leak. These methods include organizing marches, holding sit-ins near the statue of Mahatma Gandhi, wearing black clothes or black armbands, playing cards as a symbolic gesture, and displaying posters, while this comes after a high-profile demonstration on Tuesday where Congress MP and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, along with other senior leaders like Priyanka Gandhi, Mallikarjun Kharge, and KC Venugopal, held a protest outside the Prime Minister's residence at Lok Kalyan Marg. Following the police lathi-charge on students, these leaders were detained by the Delhi Police but were later released. The opposition's march and attempt to gherao the Parliament House by Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) protesters on July 20 further intensified the political atmosphere.

Developments in Parliament and Jantar Mantar

Today marks the third day of the Monsoon Session of Parliament, and the atmosphere is expected to remain stormy. Congress is continuously demanding a dedicated discussion on the NEET paper leak issue and remains firm on the demand for the Education Minister's resignation, while meanwhile, the protest by students under the banner of CJP continues at Jantar Mantar, where thousands of students remain stationed. In another significant development, Sonam Wangchuk has been on a hunger strike for the last 25 days regarding this issue. Following orders from the Delhi High Court, he was shifted from Safdarjung Hospital to Medanta Hospital yesterday. During this time, senior leaders JP Nadda and Jitendra Singh also met with him to discuss the situation.