Hyderabad: Members of the Students Federation of India (SFI) who were holding a 24-hour hunger strike in Hyderabad against the alleged NEET UG paper leak were detained by the Chikkadpally Police on Monday, July 20.
The hunger strike, led by SFI state president S Rajinikanth and secretary T Nagaraju, was held in solidarity with an ongoing protest at Jantar Mantar in Delhi. The students demanded the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and the abolition of the National Testing Agency (NTA).
Videos shared on social media showed police forcibly detaining the students, who were raising slogans demanding the minister’s resignation. Rajinikanth and Nagaraju were among those detained, according to the visuals.
Tear gas, detentions mark Delhi protest
The Hyderabad protest came on a day marked by a heavy crackdown in Delhi, where police used tear gas and resorted to a lathi-charge against supporters of the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), a youth-led movement that has been protesting at Jantar Mantar since June over alleged NEET-UG irregularities.
CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke was among those detained as the group attempted to march towards Parliament.
Both Houses of Parliament were adjourned several times on the opening day of the Monsoon Session amid opposition protests demanding a discussion on the NEET-UG paper leak and the health of activist Sonam Wangchuk, who has been on an indefinite hunger strike since June 28 and is currently undergoing treatment at Safdarjung Hospital in Delhi.
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