Himachal Protests Condemn Delhi Lathicharge, Seek Minister's Exit

Students, youth and left-affiliated organisations staged protests across several districts of Himachal Pradesh on Monday, expressing solidarity with climate activist Sonam Wangchuk and condemning the lathicharge on protesters at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi.

The demonstrations, organised under the banner of the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), also demanded the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over the alleged NEET-UG paper leak.

In the state capital Shimla, members of the Students’ Federation of India (SFI), Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU), All India Democratic Women’s Association (AIDWA), Democratic Students and Mass Movement (DSMM), All India Lawyers Union (AILU), Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI), Shimla Nagarik Sabha and the Apple Growers’ Association gathered outside the Deputy Commissioner’s office.

The protesters held placards and shouted slogans against the police action in Delhi, which they described as heavy-handed. They also called for a thorough investigation into the NEET-UG paper leak and demanded accountability from the Education Ministry.

The Jantar Mantar incident occurred on Monday when security forces used batons to control a crowd gathered under the banner of the CJP at Parliament Street. The protest in Delhi was part of a growing movement against the alleged irregularities in the medical entrance examination this year.

Sonam Wangchuk, a prominent climate activist from Ladakh, was among those who had been supporting the protests. His detention and the subsequent lathicharge drew widespread criticism from civil society groups across the country.

Authorities in Himachal Pradesh maintained that the protests remained peaceful and that no untoward incident was reported. The protesters dispersed after submitting a memorandum to the Deputy Commissioner, demanding action on their grievances.