NEET protest: Uddhav Thackeray leads Tiranga Rally, warns Centre

Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray led a Tiranga Rally in Mumbai to support students protesting the NEET-UG paper leak. He accused the Centre of using force and warned them against suppressing the non-partisan student movement.

Uddhav Thackeray Leads Tiranga Rally

Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray on Friday led a Tiranga Rally in Mumbai's Dadar in support of students protesting over the NEET-UG paper leak, accusing the Centre of using force against peaceful demonstrators and asserting that the movement transcends political affiliations.

Addressing a large gathering who were carrying the national flag in their hands, Thackeray said the rally reflected the collective voice of the people and warned the government against suppressing student protests.

"There is a unique feature of this crowd. Many people say that they don't see anyone familiar here. And exactly this thing is important: that we are all Indians, we are all Hindustanis. For those who were ruling until now by instilling fear and making us forget our identity - this scene is worth seeing," he said.

Referring to the police action against students protesting in Delhi, Thackeray said, "The way a reckless lathi charge was carried out against students in Delhi and tear gas was used... I am giving a warning to the government: you may have guns in your hands, you may have sticks in your hands, but we have this Tiranga in our hands, and to this day, no one has had the courage to fight against this Tricolour. Come on, bring your lathis, bring your guns; we are standing before you with the Tiranga. Let's see if the Tiranga wins or your lathis or guns."

Thackerays Unite to Criticise Centre

The 'Tiranga Rally' came a day after Uddhav Thackeray and Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray jointly criticised the Centre over the NEET-UG paper leak controversy and the alleged police action against protesting students.

At a joint press conference on Thursday, Raj Thackeray drew parallels with the aftermath of the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks, saying accountability should be fixed in the present case as well.

"The kind of pressure being exerted on students today is immense. After the 26/11 attacks, the Home Minister was removed from his post. And that is exactly what the students are demanding today--to remove the Education Minister," Raj Thackeray had said.

Uddhav Thackeray had also alleged that the issue extended beyond a single examination and reflected broader concerns over the country's education system.

"This issue is not limited to just the NEET exam. I met the students as well; they were beaten and thrashed. Their clothes were torn," he had said, while alleging that unidentified persons posing as police personnel had assaulted demonstrators.

He had further stated that the agitation would remain non-partisan and that only the national flag would be displayed during the movement.

Protesting Students' Body Holds Talks with Govt

Meanwhile, the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), which has been spearheading the student agitation, said it had placed four key demands before the Union government during talks with Union Ministers JP Nadda and Jitendra Singh on Friday.

CJP Chief Spokesperson Saurav Das said the party's principal demand remained the resignation or removal of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.

He added that the government had responded positively to demands for compensation to families of students who died by suicide, withdrawal of FIRs against peaceful protesters and a written assurance that no fresh cases would be registered against demonstrators.

CJP National Spokesperson Ashutosh Ranka also said the Centre had shown "significant in-principle agreement" on compensation and legal protection for students and expressed hope that a written agreement would be reached after the next round of talks.

Other Developments

The developments come after climate activist Sonam Wangchuk ended his 26-day hunger strike on Thursday after receiving a written assurance from the Union government on reforms to the competitive examination system.

Meanwhile, the Supreme Court is scheduled to hear on July 27 a plea alleging excessive police action against students protesting over examination paper leaks. (ANI)

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianet Newsable English staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)