NEET paper leak protests: NDA, INDIA bloc MPs face off, separated by CISF human chain

New Delhi: The political battle over the NEET paper leak spilled onto the Parliament premises on Thursday as MPs of the ruling NDA and the Opposition INDIA bloc held rival protests at Makar Dwar, coming face-to-face in a noisy slogan-shouting match that underscored the deepening deadlock over the demand for Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan's resignation.

CISF personnel formed a human chain to keep the two sides apart as MPs exchanged slogans barely metres from each other before the two Houses met for the day. The confrontation mirrored the impasse inside Parliament, where proceedings in both the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha were repeatedly disrupted and eventually washed out for the fourth consecutive day.

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The Opposition, led by Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and other INDIA bloc MPs, reiterated its demand for Pradhan's resignation. Their placards read "Pradhan Sack" and "Jaan Bachao, NEET Band Karo", while leaders maintained that any discussion on the issue could take place only after the minister stepped down.

Across from them, NDA MPs accused the Opposition of disrupting Parliament despite the government's offer to hold a discussion on the controversy.

The standoff followed a strategy meeting of INDIA bloc floor leaders ahead of the day's sitting, where the Opposition reaffirmed that Pradhan's resignation remained a non-negotiable precondition for any debate.

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The government, however, has continued to insist it is prepared for an immediate discussion without preconditions, with Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju accusing the Opposition of stalling Parliament.

The parliamentary confrontation comes amid sustained nationwide protests over the alleged exam paper leaks, led by the CJP, keeping pressure on the government.