Assam Congress staged a protest in Guwahati demanding Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation over the alleged NEET examination controversy. The APCC also sought a detailed Parliament discussion and withdrawal of FIRs against protesting students, alleging examination irregularities and demanding accountability.
The Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) on Wednesday organized a protest rally in Guwahati demanding the immediate resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over the alleged NEET examination controversy. The opposition party accused the Centre of failing to ensure transparency and fairness in conducting one of the country’s most important medical entrance examinations and called for greater accountability over the issue.
The protest march commenced from Rajiv Bhawan, the headquarters of the Assam Pradesh Congress Committee, and witnessed the participation of a large number of Congress leaders, legislators, party workers and supporters. The rally was led by Leader of the Opposition in the Assam Legislative Assembly, Wazed Ali Choudhury, who criticized the Union government over the alleged irregularities in the NEET examination process.
During the demonstration, Congress leaders raised slogans against the Central government and demanded that Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan step down by accepting what they described as “moral responsibility” for the controversy surrounding the national-level medical entrance examination. According to the party, the alleged irregularities have raised serious concerns among students, parents and education stakeholders across the country.
The APCC also urged the Union government to facilitate a comprehensive discussion on the NEET issue in Parliament. Party leaders maintained that a detailed parliamentary debate was necessary to address the concerns of students and restore public confidence in the examination system.
Another major demand raised during the protest was the immediate withdrawal of all FIRs filed against students who had staged demonstrations in Delhi over the alleged examination irregularities. Congress leaders argued that students expressing concerns about the integrity of the examination should not face legal action and instead deserved a fair hearing regarding their grievances.
Several senior Congress legislators participated in the protest, including Deputy Leader of the Opposition Dr. Jayanta Prakash Das and MLAs Zakir Hussain Sikdar, Nurul Huda, Baby Begum, Asif Nazar, Zubair Anam and Tanjil Hussain. Their presence underscored the party’s collective stand on the issue and its demand for accountability from the Union government.
The rally also saw the participation of several senior APCC functionaries and office-bearers. Among those present were APCC General Secretary Bipul Gogoi, Guwahati City District Congress Committee President Swapan Das, senior leader Rupa Deuri, General Secretaries Imdad Hussain, Bandip Dutta and Moinajan Begum, Scheduled Caste Cell Chairperson Krishna Das, Media Department representatives Happy Gogoi and Rupa Kalita, and NSUI Assam President Kaushik Kashyap. Hundreds of party workers carrying Congress flags joined the demonstration, making it one of the significant opposition protests on the issue in the state.
The protest remained peaceful and was conducted under police supervision. Despite the strong slogans and criticism directed at the Centre, no untoward incidents were reported during the rally.
Addressing the gathering, Congress leaders alleged that the reported irregularities in the NEET examination had weakened the trust of lakhs of aspiring medical students and their families. They stated that maintaining the credibility of national-level entrance examinations is essential for safeguarding merit and ensuring equal opportunities for students across India.
| Also Read: Durand Cup trophies reach Kolkata before July 25 kickoff |
The Assam Congress reiterated that it would continue its agitation until the Union government responded to the concerns surrounding the NEET examination controversy. The party maintained that accountability, transparency and a fair investigation into the alleged irregularities were necessary to restore public confidence in the country’s examination system.
