The Karnataka Pradesh Youth Congress Committee (KPYCC) organised a torchlight rally in Bengaluru on Saturday, demanding the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over the alleged NEET question paper leak and other examination irregularities. The protest was held as part of the nationwide "Chhatron Ki Goonj" campaign launched by the Congress party to highlight issues in the education sector.
Hundreds of students and youth gathered at Freedom Park carrying torches and raising slogans such as "Save the Future of Students" and "Conduct a Fair Investigation into the NEET Scam." The protesters accused the Centre of failing to ensure a transparent and credible examination system and demanded accountability for repeated paper leak controversies.
KPYCC State President H.S. Manjunath alleged that the BJP-led Central Government had jeopardised the future of millions of students and held Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan responsible for the ongoing crisis in the education system. He also criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi for praising Pradhan despite the controversy surrounding the examination leaks.
According to Youth Congress leaders, the anti-NEET campaign will continue across Karnataka and other states through interactive sessions, walkathons, public meetings and student outreach programmes. The organisation aims to register around 1.5 lakh students as part of the movement and has vowed to continue its protests until their demands are addressed.
The torchlight march in Bengaluru is the latest in a series of demonstrations held across the country by Congress and Youth Congress workers, who have intensified their demand for Dharmendra Pradhan's resignation and broader reforms in the examination system following allegations of repeated paper leaks and irregularities in national-level tests.
