Union Minister Ramdas Athawale, also the Republican Party of India (A) chief, condemned the lathi-charge by Delhi Police on anti-NEET paper leak protestors during their ‘Sansad Chalo’ march. The protestors, led by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), were demanding the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan for the May 3 NEET paper leak. Athawale stated that while the police had to fulfill their duty, the lathi-charge should have been avoided.
Scores of students were stopped near Rail Bhavan as they tried to march to the Parliament, leading to the lathi-charge. Athawale expressed that the students should have limited their protest to that location. He also mentioned the importance of finding a resolution through discussions, referring to the CJP delegation’s meeting with Union Minister JP Nadda.
Athawale highlighted Prime Minister Modi’s acknowledgment of the NEET exam issues during the NDA’s ‘Mangal Milan’ program. Modi emphasized the need for severe punishment for those involved in the paper leak and stressed the shared responsibility of central and state governments in preventing such incidents during exams. Athawale affirmed the government’s support for the youth and dismissed opposition claims made by Rahul Gandhi.
