Pics: Nayana J C
Daijiworld Media Network – Mangaluru (NJC)
Mangaluru, Jul 24: The Students' Federation of India (SFI) and the Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI) jointly organised a protest in the city on Friday, July 24, in support of the ongoing students' agitation at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi over the alleged NEET question paper leak. The protesters demanded the resignation of union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan and called for greater accountability in the conduct of national entrance examinations.
Addressing the gathering, Santosh Bajal, DYFI Dakshina Kannada district secretary, alleged that the student movement over the NEET issue had spread across the country and had become a matter of national concern. He claimed that the protest had unsettled the union government and criticised the centre's handling of the controversy.
He further alleged that 89 examination paper leaks had occurred since the establishment of the National Testing Agency (NTA) and demanded that the agency be abolished, describing it as an ineffective institution. Condemning the alleged police action against students at Jantar Mantar, he appealed to the public to support what he described as a democratic and legitimate student movement.
Speaking on the occasion, B K Imthiyaz, DYFI Dakshina Kannada district president, alleged that the union government, under prime minister Narendra Modi, had weakened the education sector over the past 12 years and adversely affected the future of lakhs of students across the country.
The protest was also addressed by Prof Narendra Nayak, Yashwanth Maroli, Vinayak, SFI district leader, and Manoj Vamanjoor.
Among those present were DYFI district leaders Nithin Kuttar and Naveen Konchady, rationalist Prof Narendra Nayak, advocate Dinesh Hegde Ulepady, Charan Shetty, SFI Dakshina Kannada district secretary Vinush Ramana, Mohammed Ajlan, Sandesh, Almas, and representatives of student and labour organisations, including Sunil Kumar Bajal, Yogish Jappinamogaru, Balakrishna Shetty, Mahabala Deppelimar, Tayyub Bengre, Naushad Bengre, Asunta D'Souza, Pramila Shaktinagar, Yogita Ullal, and others.