Telangana Minister supports student movement, calls on Centre to drop cases against Jantar Mantar protesters

Telangana Transport and BC Welfare Minister Ponnam Prabhakar on Friday (July 24, 2026) expressed solidarity with students protesting at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar over the NEET paper leak issue and demanded that the Centre withdraw cases registered against protesting students and activists.

Stating that he supported the student movement as a former NSUI leader, Mr. Prabhakar said peaceful protest was a constitutional right in a democracy and condemned the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) administration’s advisory asking students and faculty members not to participate in the ongoing agitation.

Holding the Union Government accountable for the incident, he demanded the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on moral grounds.

Mr. Prabhakar also urged the Centre to provide ex gratia assistance to the families of students who reportedly lost their lives in connection with the issue.