JAMMU, May 13: Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Youth Congress (jkpyc) on Tuesday staged a massive protest at Shaheedi Chowk against the alleged NEET paper leak issue and burnt the effigy of the Union Education Minister, demanding accountability and a Supreme Court-monitored probe into the matter.
The protest was organised under the directions of Uday Bhanu Chib and instructions of Anirudh Sawhney. A large number of Youth Congress activists and office bearers participated in the demonstration and raised slogans against the Central Government over repeated controversies surrounding national-level examinations.
Senior Congress leaders including Raman Bhalla, Yogesh Sawhney, Ravinder Sharma and Ved Mahajan joined the protest in support of students and youth.
The protest was led by Youth Congress leaders including Adv. Ranjodh Singh, Dr. Suhaib Manhas, Amir Malik, Haris Aly and Hussaini Mubarak Chowdhary along with several youth activists.
Addressing the gathering, Youth Congress leaders alleged that repeated incidents of paper leaks, exam irregularities and cancellations have exposed the failure of the BJP-led Central Government in ensuring a fair and transparent examination system. They said students spend years preparing for competitive examinations, but repeated controversies have shattered the confidence and future aspirations of lakhs of aspirants.
The leaders said the NEET controversy has caused frustration among students and parents, particularly those belonging to middle-class and economically weaker families who invest significant time and resources in exam preparation. Protesters carried placards demanding justice for students and strict action against those responsible for examination irregularities.
Speaking on the occasion, Raman Bhalla strongly criticised the Central Government and said Prime Minister Narendra Modi must answer for repeated failures in conducting fair examinations across the country. He alleged that despite claims of making India a “Vishav Guru,” the government has failed to stop paper leaks and examination scams affecting the youth.
Former Minister Yogesh Sawhney said repeated controversies have pushed students into uncertainty and questioned the government’s claims of empowering youth while examination and recruitment systems continue to face serious lapses.
Ravinder Sharma alleged that during the last ten years, several examination-related irregularities have occurred under the BJP government, while Ved Mahajan said repeated paper leaks have shattered the dreams of lakhs of students.
The Congress leaders demanded the resignation of the Education Minister, a Supreme Court-monitored probe into the NEET paper leak issue and major reforms in the examination system to restore the faith of students and parents.