Karnataka: Congress, BJP stage protest against each other over NEET issue

BENGALURU: The ruling Congress and the opposition BJP on Wednesday staged demonstrations against each other near their offices over the NEET issue. It started with Congress workers protesting outside the BJP state office at Malleswaram here against the alleged irregularities in the NEET examination, demanding the immediate resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. The protest was in line with the Congress central leadership's support to the students' agitation led by Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) in New Delhi.

The police stopped the protesters with barricades and took the agitating Congress workers into preventive custody. Leading the protest, Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) general secretary S Manohar took out a march from the Congress office to BJP office at Malleswaram.

Holding banners, posters and Congress flag, the agitators raised slogans throughout their march and demanded Pradhan's resignation and the dismissal of the BJP-led NDA government at the Centre. The Congress protesters also burnt Pradhan's effigy.

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NEET paper leak

Addressing the protesters, Manohar alleged that the question paper leak and other irregularities in the NEET examination had eroded public confidence in the country's education system and undermined the hard work of lakhs of students.

He accused the Centre of "attempting to evade responsibility" instead of taking stringent action against those responsible. In response, the BJP took out a counter-protest march towards the Congress state head office.

The BJP leaders and workers were blocked and taken into preventive custody even before they could reach their destination. Speaking to reporters, Leader of Opposition in the Karnataka Assembly R Ashoka charged that Congress leader Rahul Gandhi was indulging in politics though many people have been arrested in connection with the NEET question paper leak case.

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Congress extends support for CJP

"I condemn the Congress for extending support to the CJP. Gandhi is doing seditious activities by staging demonstration outside the Prime Minister's residence in New Delhi," Ashoka alleged. He charged that even standing with those who are involved in treachery amounts to sedition, which Gandhi had been doing.

Referring to the stampede outside the Chinnaswamy Stadium on June 4, 2025, during the RCB's IPL victory celebrations in which 11 people were killed, the BJP leader claimed Gandhi had remained silent. He also questioned why the Congress leader did not react to the lathi-charge on government job aspirants in Hubballi last year.

BJP legislator B P Harish, who managed to reach near the Congress office at Queens Road here, was attacked with eggs by Congress workers. Later, Ashoka alleged that BJP legislators were attacked while they were in police custody.

The attack was carried out at the direction of the Congress party, he claimed, and held Chief Minister D K Shivakumar directly responsible for the incident. Stating that the attack was pre-planned, Ashoka claimed that long knives and machetes were kept inside the Congress office.

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There could even have been bombs there, he said. He said a complaint had been lodged with the Bengaluru Police Commissioner over the incident. Alleging that there had been an attempt to kill BJP leaders, Ashoka said the party had given the police time till 10 pm on Wednesday to arrest those responsible. Failing that, BJP MLAs and MLCs would stage a protest before the Gandhi statue at Vidhana Soudha on Thursday. He further claimed that those carrying long knives and machetes had come from the Congress office and the BJP would identify those involved.

Congress lodged complaint against BJP leaders

The Congress too lodged a police complaint against the BJP leaders who took part in the protest near its office on Wednesday. Congress leader Manohar demanded that the BJP leaders' vehicles must be checked as they carried "deadly" weapons in them.

Later, in a statement, Congress state president B K Hariprasad condemned the BJP for "attacking" the Congress office and party leaders in both New Delhi and Bengaluru. He said the Congress had planned a peaceful protest outside the BJP office in Bengaluru, but alleged that BJP workers instead attempted to attack the Congress office.

He claimed the saffron party leaders had openly called for an attack on the Congress office. "In a democracy, we have no objection if they protest in front of our office. But BJP leaders, who were in police custody, allegedly misled a bus driver and reached the Congress office," he alleged.