Two protests, two responses: Delhi stays calm as Haryana turns water cannons on youth Congress demonstrators

Even as activists of the Cockroach Janata Party held protest in the national capital and Youth Congress workers staged a demonstration in Haryana’s Kurukshetra on Saturday, over alleged irregularities in examinations and recruitment tests, demanding the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, it was the contrasting police response at the two venues that drew attention.

In New Delhi, security personnel adopted a restrained approach in dealing with the protesters, whereas in Kurukshetra, the police resorted to water cannons to disperse the agitating crowd.

Srivatsa Y. B, a close aide of the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, took a veiled swipe at the Aam Aadmi Party, suggesting the party was behind the CJP protest. Posting on X, he pointedly noted that over the alleged examination irregularities and the demand for Minister Pradhan’s resignation, “..National Student Union of India (the student wing of Congress) has organised 50 massive protests across India. AAP’s first one is today with 100 people sipping cold coffee.”

In Kurukshetra, Congress Lok Sabha MP Deepender Hooda led the demonstration, demanding resignation of the Union Education Minister over the NEET paper leak and alleged irregularities in CBSE examination. Police resorted to using of water cannons to disperse the agitating members and leaders of the Congress as they marched to ‘gherao’ the residence of Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini.

“We will fight the battle from the streets to the Parliament until the youth of Haryana and the country receive justice,” said Mr. Hooda, announcing that the next demonstration would be held in Panipat on June 12.

He said Haryana currently faces the highest levels of unemployment and drug abuse in the country.

“Paper leaks have been occurring continuously under the BJP government for the past 12 years, yet there is no accountability. Paper-leak mafias are operating across the country under the patronage of the BJP government. We have gathered today to demand the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan,” he said.