CHENNAI: Amid the ongoing nationwide anti-NEET protests, more than 50 people were detained on Friday after staging a road blockade during a protest in Tamil Nadu’s Kallakurichi.Earlier in the day, students affiliated with the Students’ Federation of India (SFI) held a sit-in protest inside the Chennai’s Presidency College campus. The protesters raised slogans against the Centre and demanded the resignation of Union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan over alleged irregularities in national-level examinations.The demonstration at Presidency College was part of the nationwide protests seeking accountability over examination security concerns.Earlier this week, Tamil Nadu chief minister Vijay backed the Congress-led protest and criticised the police action against the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) demonstration.Several opposition leaders, including Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav and Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, protested in Parliament wearing black clothes. Congress also organised a protest at Lok Kalyan Marg, where Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi and several other leaders were later detained by the police.The Congress has demanded the resignation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.Condemning the police action, Vijay described the detention of opposition leaders as “undemocratic.”He wrote on X, “The arrest of several leaders–including the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Mr Rahul Gandhi–who stepped forward to support the youth protesting in Delhi against the irregularities in the NEET examination, is undemocratic. These actions by the Union Government are condemnable. Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam extends its full support to the protest being held today within the Parliament complex by opposition parties, condemning the unfortunate incidents that occurred yesterday.“Vijay also reiterated his demand to abolish the NEET examination. He said education should be moved to the State List and suggested creating a ‘Special Concurrent List’ as an interim arrangement to give states full control over general and medical education.Meanwhile, senior leaders of the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) met BJP leaders, including Union ministers JP Nadda and Jitendra Singh, at the Constitution Club in New Delhi to discuss the ongoing protests over alleged examination irregularities.CJP representative Abhijeet Dipke said, “Nothing short of resignation (of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan) is acceptable to us. The protest will not be called off.”The meeting came after social activist Sonam Wangchuk ended his 26-day hunger strike at Medanta Hospital following a written assurance from the Centre on the NEET issue and reforms to the country’s competitive examination system.Wangchuk said he decided to end the fast only after receiving the government’s assurance in writing, following two days of negotiations.The Centre has also said that strict action will be taken against those responsible for alleged examination paper leaks. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has stated that the Union Cabinet will consider a draft Bill proposing fast-track courts and stricter punishment for those involved in such offences.
