Gen Z protest continues

Millions more will come if the Govt does not agree to demands, says CJP

1. Sonam Wangchuk seeks assurance against retaliatory action
2. Delhi High Court seeks responses from the Centre and Delhi Police against excessive force directs police to preserve CCTV footage and other records

metro india news  I new delhi

The supporters of Cockroach Janta Party's (CJP) continued their protest on Wednesday even as political tensions escalated after Congress leaders staged a sit-in outside Prime Minister Narendra Modi's residence over the NEET-UG 2026 controversy and police action against student protesters. The demonstration ended with the detention of Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and several Opposition leaders, who were later released. Union Health Minister J P Nadda and Minister of State in the Prime Minister's Office Jitendra Singh visited Sonam Wangchuk at the hospital to enquire about his health. Sonam Wangchuk said he would end his indefinite hunger strike if the Centre given unequivocal assurance that no punitive or retaliating action would be taken against students and youth.

CJP ready to discuss at neutral venue

On Wednesday morning that Union Minister JP Nadda wanted to hold discussions and had invited them to his residence. CJP leader Sourav Das on Wednesday said the group was open to talks with Union ministers but would not meet them at their office or residence but CJP insisted that discussions could take place at Jantar Mantar or a neutral venue such as the Constitution Club of India, adding that the party had been willing to engage in dialogue “from day one”.

In the meanwhile, Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan met Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla after the government agreed to hold a detailed discussion on the NEET paper leak issue in the Lok Sabha. The Centre has also urged the Speaker to convene an all-party meeting to decide the rule, date and duration of the debate.

152 paper leaks in 10 years, zero convictions: RaGa 

Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday intensified the Congress party's attack on the Centre over alleged paper leaks, rising education costs, and the handling of student protests, demanding the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.

Addressing a special press conference in New Delhi, Rahul Gandhi alleged that 152 examination paper leaks had taken place over the past decade, affecting nearly 7.5 crore students. He claimed that despite the large number of cases, there had been no convictions in paper leak related incidents during the last ten years, raising serious concerns over accountability.

Describing the situation as a systematic failure, Rahul Gandhi alleged that the country's education system had been ‘rigged’ under the present government, making quality education increasingly inaccessible to poor and middle class families.

Highlighting the financial burden on students, he claimed that families of NEET aspirants collectively spend around Rs 1.32 lakh crore every year on coaching and examination related expenses. He pointed out that this figure is almost equal to the Union Government's annual education budget of approximately Rs 1.4 lakh crore, arguing that the current system has become unaffordable for ordinary families.

Rahul Gandhi reiterated that the Congress party stands "100 per cent" with students and supports their demand for accountability. He maintained that students have every right to protest against repeated examination irregularities and called their demand for the resignation of the Education Minister legitimate.

Calling Dharmendra Pradhan "corrupt" and "incompetent", Rahul Gandhi alleged that he had become the symbol of the failures in the education sector and must step down. He further claimed that India's education system, once considered one of the country's greatest strengths, had been severely weakened under the present administration.

The Congress leader also condemned the police action against students protesting in the national capital earlier this week. He demanded strict action against the officials responsible for the alleged assault on protesting students and called upon the Prime Minister to apologise to them.

Referring to his own detention and alleged assault during the Congress protest outside the Prime Minister's residence on Tuesday, Rahul Gandhi said he was not concerned about how he was treated personally.

"I do not care about a few punches. What matters is the future of India's students and ensuring justice for them," he said, asserting that the focus must remain on the students' concerns rather than on him.