KTR Protests Delhi Police Action Over NEET Demonstration, BJP Hits Back Over BRS Record

Political tensions escalated in Telangana after BRS Working President K.T. Rama Rao (KTR) staged a major protest at Indira Park Dharna Chowk in Hyderabad, condemning the Delhi Police's handling of students protesting the alleged NEET paper leak at Jantar Mantar in the national capital. The protest triggered a sharp political exchange between the Bharatiya Rashtra Samithi (BRS), the BJP, and the Congress.

Choosing to stay away from celebrations marking his 50th birthday, KTR said he joined the protest out of concern for students and their families rather than for political reasons. He demanded the immediate resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and called for the withdrawal of cases registered against students who participated in the Delhi demonstrations.

Addressing the gathering, KTR said he was deeply disturbed by visuals showing police action against students and women at Jantar Mantar, describing his participation as that of a father standing in solidarity with the country's youth. He argued that public anger was not limited to the alleged examination irregularities but also stemmed from unfulfilled promises of employment, referring to the pledge of creating two crore jobs annually.

KTR also alleged that attempts to discredit critics through political campaigns and sections of the media would no longer silence young people. He claimed that students had used social media to amplify their concerns despite limited mainstream coverage and questioned why Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy was reacting to criticism of the Central government instead of confronting it directly. He asserted that the BRS, under the leadership of K. Chandrashekar Rao (KCR), would continue to support students' rights.

Responding to KTR's remarks, Telangana BJP President N. Ramchander Rao said the BRS leader had no moral authority to hold a protest at Dharna Chowk, pointing out that the previous BRS government had attempted to remove the protest venue.

He also accused the former BRS administration of failing to address examination-related controversies during its tenure. Ramchander Rao referred to the Group-1 examination paper leak, the absence of Group-1 recruitments over a decade, and the controversy surrounding Intermediate examination results, which he said had caused severe distress among students. He argued that the BRS should first answer for those issues before criticising the present situation.

The political atmosphere intensified further when Congress workers, led by former MP Anjan Kumar Yadav, attempted to march from Adarsh Nagar to Indira Park, accusing the previous BRS government of trying to abolish Dharna Chowk during its rule. Police stopped the rally and detained several protesters as a precaution, preventing them from reaching the protest venue.

Meanwhile, demonstrations over the alleged NEET paper leak continue across the country. A large protest organised by youth groups in New Delhi on July 20 turned tense after demonstrators attempted to march towards Parliament, prompting police to use tear gas and carry out a lathi charge to disperse the crowd.

The Supreme Court has agreed to hear a petition challenging the police action on July 27. Separately, social activist Sonam Wangchuk ended his 26-day hunger strike on Thursday night after receiving a written assurance from the Central government, bringing another chapter of the nationwide protests to a close.