Two protests, two reactions: Delhi remains calm as Haryana turns water cannons on Youth Congress protesters

Police resorted to the use of water cannons to disperse agitating members of the Youth Congress in Haryana’s Kurukshetra on Saturday, June 6, 2026. Photo credit: Special arrangement

Even as Cockroach Janata Party activists staged a protest in the state capital and Youth Congress workers staged a demonstration in Haryana’s Kurukshetra on Saturday (June 6, 2026) over alleged irregularities in examinations and recruitment tests and demanded the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, it was the contrasting response of the police that drew attention at both places.

In New Delhi, security personnel took a restrained approach in dealing with protesters, while in Kurukshetra, police resorted to water cannons to disperse the agitated crowd.

Srivatsa YB, a close associate of the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, took a swipe at the Aam Aadmi Party and hinted that the party was behind the CJP’s protest. In his post on X, he aptly noted that due to the alleged irregularities in the investigation and the demand for Minister Pradhan’s resignation, “..The National Students Union of India (student wing of the Congress) has organized 50 massive protests across India. The first one is today with 100 people drinking cold coffee.”

In Kurukshetra, Congress Lok Sabha MP Deepender Hooda led a demonstration demanding the resignation of the Union Education Minister over the NEET paper leak and alleged irregularities in the CBSE examination. Police resorted to using water cannons to disperse the agitating Congress members and leaders as they marched to the ‘gherao’ residence of Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini.

“We will fight the battle from the streets to the Parliament until the youth of Haryana and the country get justice,” Mr. Hooda said, announcing that the next demonstration would be held in Panipat on June 12.

He said that Haryana currently faces the highest rate of unemployment and drug abuse in the country.

“Paper leaks have been happening continuously for the last 12 years under the BJP government, yet there is no accountability. Paper leak mafias are operating across the country under the patronage of the BJP government. We have come together today to demand the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan,” he said.

Published – 07 Jun 2026 02:39 IST