NEET Protest: Delhi Students March to Parliament, Meet JP Nadda; No Commitment on Demands
On Monday, thousands of students and activists protesting the NEET exam paper leak marched through Delhi, reaching near the Parliament building. The protest, which saw stone-pelting and minor clashes with police, was the largest such demonstration in the capital in recent years. Police used mild lathi-charge and tear gas to disperse the crowd, but largely exercised restraint despite injuries to over 100 personnel, according to official sources.
The government had earlier received a request for dialogue from a student political party representing the protesters. Union Health Minister and Rajya Sabha Leader JP Nadda was tasked with holding discussions, given his ministry's role in NEET-related matters such as seat allocation and counselling.
Nadda met two representatives of the party at his residence. During the first meeting around 11:50 am, he asked them to submit their demands in writing. The representatives later handed over a memorandum at 4:00 pm. However, Nadda reportedly offered no assurance or commitment on any of the three demands raised. He urged the protesters to call off the march and assist in restoring normalcy.
Meanwhile, Home Minister Amit Shah monitored the situation from Parliament House, coordinating with senior ministers and police officials. The government's strategy was to manage both the street protest and the opposition's aggressive stance inside Parliament.
Intelligence assessments indicated that the protest had political backing, with activists from several parties joining genuine student protesters. The government has not commented on the specific demands related to the NEET exam.
