BJP and Congress Workers Clash in Vijayawada During Competing Protests Over NEET Controversy
Vijayawada, July 22, 2026: Workers from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Congress party clashed on Wednesday outside the Andhra Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) headquarters at Andhra Ratna Bhavan. The incident occurred after BJP activists marched to the Congress office to protest against the latter's recent demonstrations in New Delhi over the NEET-UG examination controversy.
The protest was led by BJP Andhra Pradesh president P.V.N. Madhav, who along with hundreds of party workers, assembled near the Congress office around noon. Raising slogans against Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, the BJP workers marched towards the APCC building. They pushed past police barricades, leading to scuffles with police personnel deployed to maintain order. Demonstrators carried saffron flags and placards in Telugu questioning the Congress's stance on the alleged NEET paper leak.
On reaching the Congress office, BJP activists confronted Congress workers who had gathered inside the premises, waving party flags and shouting counter-slogans. Both sides exchanged verbal abuses, and the situation escalated into physical altercations. The BJP alleged that Congress workers attacked their leaders with weapons, causing injuries to district vice-president Chaitanya Sharma, district president Adduri Sriram, and party leader Paila Suresh. Congress workers denied the allegation, claiming that BJP activists had stormed their office unprovoked.
Police from the Armed Reserve and task force arrived at the scene and intervened to separate the groups. Several protesters were detained, and the area was brought under control. Details of injuries, detentions, or criminal cases were not immediately available.
The clash is part of a nationwide political dispute over the NEET-UG examination, which has seen allegations of paper leaks and irregularities. Congress had launched protests across the country demanding a court-monitored probe and the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. In Delhi on Tuesday, Rahul Gandhi and several Congress MPs were detained after a sit-in near the Prime Minister's residence. In response, local BJP units organised counter-protests, accusing the Opposition of politicising student concerns.
