Tensions flared in Kota today as police used water cannons to disperse Congress workers protesting at the District Collectorate office. The demonstration was organized in response to the alleged leak of the NEET (National Eligibility cum Entrance Test) exam paper, which has sparked widespread outrage among students and political activists.
The protest, led by the local Congress party, saw a large gathering of students, parents, and party workers demanding a thorough investigation into the leak and immediate accountability from officials involved. Chanting slogans and holding placards, the protesters called for the resignation of education authorities and stringent measures to ensure the integrity of future examinations.
Eyewitnesses reported that the situation escalated when protesters attempted to breach the barricades set up by the police. In response, law enforcement deployed water cannons to control the crowd, resulting in a chaotic scene outside the Collectorate office. Several protesters were drenched, and a few reportedly sustained minor injuries in the commotion. Around 24 lakh candidates appeared in the exam on May 5 this year and the results were declared on June 4. Since then, the NTA is facing criticism over the NEET-UG 2024 paper leak and the alleged irregularities after 67 students scored 720 out of 720.
Reports of paper leak first came from Bihar and then from Gujarat's Godhra. Meanwhile, the CBI on Sunday registered a criminal case for irregularities in the medical entrance exam and formed special teams to probe the matter. On Sunday, the Patna police arrested five people who had been detained in Deoghar, Jharkhand. All the accused — Baldev Kumar, Mukesh Kumar, Panku Kumar, Rajeev Kumar, and Paramjeet Singh — are residents of Nalanda.