Siliguri (West Bengal) [India], July 25 : Members of the Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI), the youth wing of the Communist Party of India (Marxist), on Friday staged a protest rally in Siliguri against the NEET (UG) paper leak, demanding the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and the dissolution of the National Testing Agency (NTA).
DYFI leader Sagar Sharma said students and youth across the country were demanding the resignation of the Education Minister and alleged that the main issue was being sidestepped.
"We are holding this rally today by inviting all the young students. Students and youth across the country have only one demand: the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. Instead of sidestepping the issue, we must focus on the main issue...," he said.
He also condemned the alleged police action against protesters, claiming that several students were injured during the demonstration. Sharma demanded action against the police personnel concerned and called for the NTA to be dissolved. He said the rally in Siliguri was being organised in solidarity with the protesters at Jantar Mantar and said that if police attempted to stop the march, demonstrations would continue three times a day.
Another DYFI leader, Deepa Tamang, also questioned why Dharmendra Pradhan had not resigned, alleging that repeated examination paper leaks reflected a failure to handle the issue.
"Why isn't Dharmendra Pradhan resigning? What's the problem with him resigning when he can't handle it?... We don't want a government like this, where blood is being shed, where there is lathi-charge...," she said.
She alleged that students had faced police action during protests and criticised the government over its handling of the matter. Tamang appealed to people across different regions to support the protest, saying examination paper leaks affected students and their families alike.
She also questioned the Narendra Modi-led government over its response to the students' agitation, alleging that it was acting against the interests of students.
Meanwhile, Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) activists emphasised on Saturday that the organisation would be forced to take a "tough stance" if the government fails to clarify its position on the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.
Speaking to reporters, CJP activist Ashutosh Ranka noted that his meeting with Union Ministers JP Nadda and Jitendra Singh was fruitful.
He added that once the government clarifies its stance on Dharmendra Pradhan's resignation, the CJP will decide its future strategy.