New Delhi, 23 July (H.S.): Opposition MPs on Thursday staged a protest at Makar Dwar in the Parliament complex against the NEET question paper leak issue and the alleged police action against protesting students. The lawmakers continued to demand the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over the controversy.

The protest was attended by Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, Congress Parliamentary Party chairperson Sonia Gandhi, Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, K.C. Venugopal, Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav, Rajiv Ranjan alias Pappu Yadav, Dharmendra Yadav, Ram Gopal Yadav and several other opposition MPs.

The protesting lawmakers carried large posters carrying messages such as “Democracy is dying” and raised slogans demanding the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.

Congress MP K.C. Venugopal, in a post on X, said opposition MPs were united in their fight for the future of the country’s youth. He alleged that the Bharatiya Janata Party was under pressure and was using misinformation and threats to protect its image.

Venugopal said the opposition would not step back from its core demands, with the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan being the first among them.

Communist Party of India (Marxist) MP John Brittas said the opposition’s protest would not remain limited to Parliament and would continue on the streets as well. He asserted that opposition parties were firm on their demand for Pradhan’s resignation and would not move even an inch from their stand.

Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar