Mysuru: The city witnessed separate protests on Tuesday in support of noted activist Sonam Wangchuk condemning the alleged police action against protesters in New Delhi.Demonstrators also demanded the resignation of Union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan over the alleged irregularities in the NEET examination.Members of the Students’ Federation of India (SFI) staged a demonstration near the old deputy commissioner’s office, raising slogans against the Centre. The protesters condemned the police action against demonstrators in New Delhi and demanded that the alleged NEET question paper leak be handed over for a judicial inquiry.The protesters called for the abolition of the National Testing Agency (NTA) and demanded that the NEET examination be scrapped. They urged Pradhan to resign, taking moral responsibility for the alleged examination irregularities. They also demanded that PM Narendra Modi publicly apologise over the issue.The demonstrators further sought compensation of Rs 1 crore each for the families of students who allegedly died by suicide following the postponement and controversies surrounding the examination.In another protest held at Ramaswamy Circle, members of the All India Democratic Students’ Organisation (AIDSO), All India Democratic Youth Organisation (AIDYO), All India Mahila Samskrutika Sanghatan (AIMSS) and All India United Trade Union Centre (AIUTUC) condemned the police action against protesters in New Delhi.Addressing the gathering, AIDSO district president Chandrakala strongly condemned the alleged lathi-charge and use of tear gas against protesters demanding the resignation of Dharmendra Pradhan. She said that the Parliament march was announced well in advance but permission was denied by the police, adding that peaceful protest is a fundamental right in a democracy.She said that when laws fail to address the needs of ordinary people, they become instruments of injustice, making public protest inevitable. She described the police action as undemocratic and appealed to students across the country to raise their voice against the alleged police excesses and the attitude of the Union govt.AIMSS district vice-president Seema alleged that Pradhan failed to ensure transparency in national-level examinations.AIDYO district president Sunil described the police action as a brutal attack on the youth and alleged that the govt was attempting to suppress the nationwide movement.
