Bengaluru demonstrations over student protest in Delhi demand Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation

Members of various associations stage a protest in Bengaluru on Thursday against the NEET paper leak and the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. | Photo credit: SUDHAKARA JAIN

Hundreds of students, parents, working professionals and activists affiliated with various organizations gathered at Freedom Park in Bengaluru on Thursday (July 23) in support of the ongoing protest led by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi demanding the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over the climate leak and WWW NEET fast-tracking.

While the protest was organized by Dalit Sangharsh Samiti (DSS), several organizations including All India Students Association (AISA), All India Democratic Students Organization (AIDSO), political parties including Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), Bengaluru Navanirmana Party (BNP) and others came in support of the students and demanded Mr. Pradhan’s resignation.

Colorful slogans

A small child on her father’s shoulder held one that said, “Dharmendra uncle, please get up from your chair. I want a better education system.” | Photo credit: SUDHAKARA JAIN

As night fell, protesters lit candles and lit their mobile torches in a show of solidarity. They held signs with clever puns and puns. A pregnant woman was holding a sign that said “Longing for Pregnancy: Responsibility”. A small child on her father’s shoulder held one that said, “Dharmendra uncle, please get up from your chair. I want a better education system.” Another said: “The children are here to teach you.”

Naman, a theater artist, held a banner and a stick symbolizing the lathis used by the police against students during a protest in Delhi. He said, “I was part of the protest in Delhi on July 21, but when the police took their lathis and started charging the protesters, I ran away. Today I am holding this tag and a stick so that anyone can hit me with this stick. I will not run in fear but will continue to question the government.” He’s in town for a performance of The Big M of Madness, in which he stars.

Return to the old system

BT Lalitha Naik, an author and former minister who was part of the protest, said, “NEET and the National Testing Agency must be scrapped by the central government. Students and parents will be happy to bring back the old system of states conducting entrance exams for MBBS admissions.”

Ganga, a student from St. Joseph’s College, which offers Masters in Economics and is part of AISA, said the nationwide protest will continue until the education minister resigns. “We have four demands. We want Dharmendra Pradhan to resign and abolish NEET and centralized entrance exams. We want NTA and National Education Policy (NEP) to be done away with. We also want an end to commercialization and encryption of education.”

Published – 23 Jul 2026 22:59 IST