NSUI protests against NEET paper leak and fuel price hikes; demands minister’s resignation and a transparent exam system

Ranchi: Congress and its affiliated student’s wing, the National Student’s Union of India (NSUI), Ranchi on Tuesday staged agitations at various places over fuel price hike and the national eligibility cum entrance test (NEET) paper leak.A large number of NSUI members staged a gherao of the BJP state office in Ranchi to air their resentment against the paper leak and demanded the resignation of Union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan on the issue. The NSUI leaders said that they would gherao the resident of the minister in New Delhi if he does not resign in 10 days.The protestors also demanded that national testing agency should be dissolved and a new and transparent system should be implemented.During the agitation, the NSUI members gathered at Harmu ground in the afternoon from where they marched to the BJP office and sat on a dharna for about two hours.Addressing the gathering, the NSUI state president Vinay Oroan said, “The NEET paper leak was not only an irregularity of an examination but an assault on dreams, prospect and mental health of lakhs of hard working students. When the examination system is not impartial the faith of students is broken.”The NSUI town president Satish Kesri said that his organisation would stand by the NEET aspirants in the future as well. NUSI Ranchi University president Kaif Ali said that the struggle would be organised from the streets to the Parliament.The agitation was withdrawn at around 6:30 pm as the chief minister’s Hemant Soren’s cavalcade was to pass on the road. A strong contingent of police was present at the site to ensure law and order.Meanwhile, the Congress workers carried out a signature campaign at the petrol pumps across the state to air resentment against the continuous fuel price hikes in the recent days. During the protest in Ranchi the congress state president Keshav Mahto Kamlesh started from his party’s state office on a horse drawn cart to reach the Lalpur petrol pump and launch the campaign.Similar campaigns were conducted at the petrol pumps at Ratu road, Kutchery Chowk, Harmu road, Doranda and Birsa chowk.