Samajwadi Party stages protest in Parliament over alleged NEET paper leak, accuse Centre of failing to address students' concerns

New Delhi: Samajwadi Party (SP) leaders on Monday staged a protest in Parliament premises on the first day of the Monsoon Session, raising slogans and demanding a discussion on the alleged NEET paper leak issue.

While supporting the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP), SP leaders, including Dimple Yadav, Krishna Devi, Shivshankar Patel and Iqra Choudhary, Zia Ur Rahman and others, were seen holding a banner reading "Paper Leak" and raising slogans of "NEET hai ya CHEAT hai" while protesting over the alleged irregularities in the examination.

SP chief Akhilesh Yadav accused the BJP-led government of ignoring students' concerns and alleged that repeated paper leaks had taken place in Uttar Pradesh.


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"The students want the government to listen to them, but it is not ready to do so. Even when they try to come to Parliament, they are stopped through lathi-charge and other means. BJP leaders have not started deceiving people now; this has been happening for a long time. We conducted an audit in Uttar Pradesh and found that more than 20 examination papers had been leaked. No one was arrested because BJP people were involved. "

"People are not getting government jobs because if they do, the government will have to provide reservations. If people get government jobs, they cannot loot public money. It is disheartening that protesters have been lathi-charged. Those members who wish to go to Jantar Mantar can go and convey the message that we stand with them," he added.

Before the protest, SP MP Dimple Yadav alleged that the government was unwilling to engage with students despite repeated demands for dialogue.

"The situation across the country is such that the youth want to voice their concerns, yet the government refuses to listen or engage in dialogue. Students have repeatedly raised these issues, and Sonam Wangchuk has also urged the government to open a dialogue. However, the government is so rigid and callous that it refuses to hear anyone else's views."

She addded "As I have said before, we stand with the students, and we are about to march to Jantar Mantar. I believe the entire process is corrupt, and it is the country's youth and students who are bearing the brunt of it and suffering immense mental stress."

During the protest, Dimple Yadav also alleged, "The government is not in favour of fair exams or fair elections."

SP MP Zia Ur Rahman said the party had raised students' concerns in Parliament and urged the government to initiate dialogue with protesters.

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"We have raised their voice during the session, and we want the government to set aside its rigidness. We saw how Sonam Wangchuk was forcibly removed from the protest site, and we urge the government to hold a dialogue with them," he said.

SP MP Iqra Choudhary demanded the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over the issue.

"We want the resignation of Dharmendra Pradhan. This is also about the accountability of the government. The Education Minister must resign," she said.

SP MP Rajeev Kumar Rai also criticised the government, alleging irregularities in the examination process.

"From paper to exam, this government is indulging in theft. We want to topple the government, and we stand with the protesters," he said.