BJD stages statewide protest over alleged NEET paper leak, seeks Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation

Bhubaneswar, May 13 : The youth and student wings of the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) on Tuesday staged statewide protests across Odisha over the alleged NEET question paper leak, demanding a fair investigation into the incident and seeking the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on moral grounds.

The demonstrations were jointly organised by the Biju Yuva Janata Dal (BYJD) and Biju Chhatra Janata Dal (BCJD) in several parts of the state, including Bhubaneswar, Cuttack, Berhampur, Baripada, Angul, Jajpur and Balasore.

In Bhubaneswar, a major protest was held in front of Utkal University under the leadership of BYJD state president Chinmay Sahu and BCJD president Ipsita Sahu. In Cuttack, party workers staged a demonstration near Christ College, condemning the alleged irregularities in the conduct of the NEET examination.

Hundreds of youth and student activists participated in the protests and raised slogans against the Central government over the alleged examination malpractice.

Addressing the gathering, student leaders alleged that the NEET paper leak had jeopardised the future of lakhs of aspirants and exposed serious lapses in the national examination system.

They claimed that repeated incidents of question paper leaks and irregularities in competitive examinations reflected the Centre’s failure to ensure transparency and accountability in the conduct of national-level tests.

The protesters demanded an impartial and transparent probe into the alleged leak and sought stringent action against all those involved in the controversy.

BJD youth and student leaders also demanded the resignation of Dharmendra Pradhan, holding him morally responsible for the issue. They further called for immediate reforms in the examination system to restore the confidence of students and parents.

The party warned that the agitation would be intensified in the coming days if the Central government failed to initiate strict action over the matter.