Leader of the Opposition and Biju Janata Dal president Naveen Patnaik urged Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan to step down following the violent clashes and alleged police assault on students protesting the NEET paper leak in New Delhi on July 20. Patnaik emphasized the need for the minister’s resignation due to the serious injuries sustained by young protesters during the rally organized by the Cockroach Janata Party.
Patnaik, who was in Delhi, discussed the escalating situation with BJD MPs after the clash between protesters and police. Expressing concern over the violent attacks on students, he revealed that BJD MPs visited RML Hospital to check on the injured students and offered assistance to them.
The BJD strongly criticized the reported police brutality against students who were peacefully marching from Jantar Mantar to Parliament in New Delhi. A BJD delegation, led by Manas Ranjan Mangaraj, visited the injured students at RML Hospital, expressing solidarity with them and demanding a special discussion in Parliament on the issue. The BJD MPs also protested inside the House, seeking justice for the injured students and calling for strict action against the perpetrators.
