Armed Reserve police hold the line as BJP workers press against the barricades outside the APCC office at Andhra Ratna Bhavan in Vijayawada on Wednesday.
| Photo Credit: K.V.S. Giri
Scuffles broke out in Vijayawada on Wednesday (July 22, 2026) when BJP workers staged a large protest and marched towards the Andhra Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) headquarters at Andhra Ratna Bhavan.
The demonstration, led by BJP Andhra Pradesh president P.V.N. Madhav, was organised to oppose the recent protest staged by the Congress near the Prime Minister’s residence in New Delhi over the NEET-UG examination controversy.
The BJP workers assembled at the venue around noon, raising slogans against Congress leader Rahul Gandhi before taking out a rally. They marched towards the Congress party office and gathered outside the premises, adding to the tension in the area.
The BJP workers assembled at the venue around noon, raising slogans against Congress leader Rahul Gandhi before taking out a rally. They marched towards the Congress party office and laid siege to the premises, further escalating tensions in the area.
Congress workers cling to the gate as BJP workers try to enter the APCC office in Vijayawada on Wednesday, during a protest over the alleged NEET-UG paper leak.
| Photo Credit:
K.V.S. Giri
Demonstrators carrying saffron BJP flags pushed past police barricades erected along the approach roads, leading to tussles with police personnel attempting to maintain order. Protesters held placards in Telugu questioning the Congress’s position on the NEET paper leak controversy and criticising the Opposition’s political stance.
On reaching the Congress State headquarters, the BJP activists confronted Congress workers who had gathered inside the gated premises, waving party flags and shouting counter-slogans.
According to the BJP, the situation turned violent while the rally was in progress. The party alleged that Congress workers attacked BJP leaders and activists. It claimed that district vice-president Chaitanya Sharma, district president Adduri Sriram and party leader Paila Suresh sustained injuries in the attack. It further alleged that the assailants used weapons.
Police personnel, including from the Armed Reserve and the task force, reached the spot and took measures to keep the situation under control. They intervened quickly, pushing back protesters and detaining some activists. Details regarding injuries, detentions or criminal cases were not immediately available.
Sharmila seeks apology
APCC president Y.S. Sharmila condemned the attack by BJP workers on the party office. “Unable to answer the peaceful protests being carried out by the Congress for the future of the country’s youth, the BJP has resorted to physical attacks after losing patience. Shameful. Such unethical actions are highly condemnable in a democratic system,” Ms. Sharmila said in a post on X.
“The Congress strongly condemns the attack by the BJP at Andhra Ratna Bhavan and we demand that the BJP State president issue an immediate public apology,” she said. She added that if the BJP believed it could misuse its power and the police machinery to act with impunity, it should be prepared to face serious consequences.
The confrontation stems from the nationwide political dispute over allegations of irregularities and paper leaks in the NEET-UG examination. The controversy erupted after reports that the NEET-UG paper had allegedly been leaked, prompting Congress protests in Delhi and several States demanding a court-monitored probe. Rahul Gandhi and several Congress MPs were detained in New Delhi on Tuesday (July 21, 2026) after a sit-in of nearly three hours at Teen Murti Chowk, near the Prime Minister’s residence, where they demanded Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation over the alleged leak. As Congress leaders staged demonstrations across the country demanding accountability, local BJP units launched counter-protests, accusing the Opposition of exploiting student concerns for political gains.
Published – July 22, 2026 02:40 pm IST
