Thousands of students rally in Pune over alleged NEET-UG paper leak, seek Dharmendra Pradhan's resignation

Thousands of students and youth marched through the city. Pics/By Special Arrangement

A sea of students hit the streets of Pune on Friday in solidarity with the protest organised by the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP), demanding a fair probe into the alleged NEET-UG paper leak and the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. The protest witnessed participation from students studying in Pune from across the country, along with large numbers of youth from neighbouring towns and villages.

The march began at Lal Mahal and ended at the district collector's office. Despite heavy rain throughout the afternoon, thousands of students and youths remained undeterred and marched through the city, raising slogans against alleged irregularities in the examination process.

Friday
Day protest in Pune took place

Satirical protest

One of the defining features of the protest was the distinctly Gen Z style of expression, with protesters carrying placards featuring internet memes, viral social media dialogues, popular movie references, and trending online phrases, using satire to criticise the government and the examination system. The creative messaging made the demonstration stand out from traditional protests.

Slogans raised

The protesters raised slogans such as ‘Don't destroy our future over paper leaks', ‘We study, you leak the papers', and ‘When will the education minister take responsibility?' They alleged students were being unfairly affected.

Demands made

After reaching the district collector's office, the protesters submitted a memorandum demanding an impartial investigation into the alleged NEET-UG paper leak and stringent action against those responsible, while also seeking Pradhan's resignation on moral grounds.

‘Enough is enough'

Jeet Chowdhury, a student participating in the protest, said, "Enough is enough. It's time for the government to be held accountable. The government cannot suppress our voice."

Another student, Tarini Singh, said, "They do whatever they want. This is a question of our future, and we will not remain silent."