AAP's Manish Sisodia to Join Parliament March Over Education Reforms

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Sunday announced that senior leader Manish Sisodia will join a march to Parliament on Monday, July 20, in support of education reforms. The march is being organized by activist Sonam Wangchuk, who has been on a hunger strike demanding the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over alleged irregularities in the NEET examination.

Sisodia, a former Delhi education minister, addressed a protest at Jantar Mantar on Sunday afternoon, calling for a non-partisan approach to improving the education system. 'Tomorrow, don't come in support of any party. Whatever may be your party, even if you are from the BJP, look at your child and think whether you want a good education system for your child,' he told the media.

The AAP has alleged that Wangchuk was illegally detained by the central government to prevent him from joining the march. Wangchuk, who was on the 21st day of his hunger strike, was taken by police and hospitalised on Saturday. The party has also raised concerns about the NEET re-examination conducted after the paper leak, alleging irregularities in the results.

In a separate development, AAP MP Sanjay Singh submitted a notice to the Rajya Sabha Secretary-General seeking a discussion under Rule 267 on the NEET paper leak, police action against peaceful protesters, and the demands raised by Wangchuk.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has countered the allegations. Delhi BJP president Harsh Malhotra claimed that Wangchuk's hunger strike, which began on June 28, was 'sponsored' by the AAP, the Left, and the Congress to create disruption during the Monsoon Session of Parliament. He asserted that the re-examination was conducted satisfactorily on June 21.

The NEET paper leak, which came to light in June, led to widespread protests and a re-examination. The controversy has become a major political issue, with opposition parties accusing the government of mishandling the examination process. The government has maintained that the re-examination was fair and that action has been taken against those responsible for the leak.

The march to Parliament is expected to draw several thousand supporters from various political parties and student groups. Security has been heightened in the capital in anticipation of the protest.