NEET protest resumes in Patna; students stage fresh demonstration over police crackdown

PATNA: Hundreds of students and youth activists staged a fresh protest in Patna on August 4, Tuesday, against the alleged police crackdown on last month's agitation over the NEET UG 2026 paper leak. The protesters, carrying flags of organisations including the National Students' Union of India (NSUI), All India Students' Federation (AISF) and Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI), marched from Gandhi Maidan towards Samrat Choudhary, the chief minister's residence.

Police stopped the march near the income tax roundabout, around two kilometres from the chief minister's residence, using barricades and later dispersed the protesters with water cannons after they attempted to enter a prohibited zone. According to police, the action was taken to prevent the demonstrators from entering the restricted area.

The protesters demanded the release of students arrested during last month's statewide agitation over NEET UG 2026 paper leak and the withdrawal of criminal cases registered against them. They alleged that despite assurances from the state government, several students were still in jail and the cases had not been withdrawn. One of the demonstrators said. "We want a verified list of those who have been released from jail and those who are still behind bars after being arrested during the protests".

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Protesters seek release, withdrawal of police cases

Last month, nearly 600 people were detained during a Bihar bandh called to demand the resignation of the then Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over the alleged NEET UG paper leak. Police later released around half of those detained after identifying them as minors, while the remaining were sent to jail.

The Bihar Home Department had subsequently announced that all cases against the students would be withdrawn and those lodged in jail would be released following talks between a student delegation led by AISA president Neha and director general of police Vinay Kumar. However, protesters claimed that the announcement had not been implemented.

Independent MP Pappu Yadav and Bihar Congress president Rajesh Ram joined the protest. Ram was among the leaders taken into police custody after water cannons were used. Amarendra Kumar Jha, sub-divisional police officer, issued a statement saying the police resorted to water cannons after protesters tried to cross into the prohibited zone. "We have not detained anyone but only helped a delegation, picked up from among the protesters, appear before a competent authority for presenting their grievances," he said.